


Polaris

by CatlynGunn



Series: Interstellar [1]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: AUish?, Dib is kind of punk and has trust issues, Dib's around 18, Eventual Smut, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Mentions of politics, Prejudice, Slow Burn, Swearing, This story gets way too real just saying, Violence, ZaDr, Zim's pining hard, at least by my standards, just go with the flow, these guys are probably out of character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:28:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 111,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatlynGunn/pseuds/CatlynGunn
Summary: It all starts when a new girl comes into Dib and Zim's class, followed by the arrival of Tak with an Alien Relocator. Things are happening in the universe that are beyond the fight over Earth, and Dib and Zim find themselves on journey like none they've had before. A journey with the potential to bring them right where they've always belonged...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Polaris Traducción](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14739497) by [Yin_Yang_and_MadHatter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yin_Yang_and_MadHatter/pseuds/Yin_Yang_and_MadHatter)



> Oops. I fell into another fandom.
> 
> By the way I was working on this WAY before the announcement of the TV movie (I'M SO EXCITED I CANT EVEN WHAT?!!!) I just finally decided it was ready to show the world. By the way, Zim and Dib are the boys that started the Fanfiction train for me. So thank (or blame) them.
> 
> I worked really hard on this story. I did research. I re-watched episodes. I rewrote some parts at least three times before I was okay with them, then I had to restructure the whole thing. Bottom line, I'm proud of this. So, if you enjoy, great! If you don't, well.......

Seventeen year old Dib Membrane honestly wondered why he even bothered with school anymore. He was without a doubt the only human among his classmates with any brains, and often times found himself banging his head against his desk in frustration because of this fact. He was surrounded by idiots. Blind, ignorant idiots. 

Also, the fact that everyone still called him crazy didn’t help things. However at least he could pin that on someone else; the very person who was the reason he didn’t pack his bag and move to Roswell or something. 

Six years. It had been six years since Zim had come to Earth. Six years since the Irken had walked into his sixth grade class, changing his life forever. Six years of shouting, fist fights, space battles, and many, many attempts to best the other.  

Dib sighed to himself, slumping in his seat. He stopped caring about exposing Zim a long time ago. As he grew older, he realized that proving alien life existed wasn’t really what was important. No. What was important was stopping Zim from his convoluted plots to take over Earth. He still found reasons to sneak into the Irken’s base (mostly for sabotage), but even that was unnecessary most of the time. Almost all of Zim’s plans were, for lack of a better word, stupid. Where in the past Zim’s ideas went fifty-fifty between obnoxiously ridiculous to may actually destroy all of mankind if allowed to succeed, these day Zim’s plans were just…stupid. Creative. But stupid. 

Dib was starting to wonder if Zim was even trying anymore. 

Dib tapped his mechanical pencil against his notebook as the rest of the class rolled in. Most of his classmates ignored him these days (a product of him starting to ignore them.) Those that didn’t made a point to greet him with the usual “freak” and “loser.” Dib had long since become quite numb to it all. _Just_ _one_ _more_ _year_ , he told himself. After this year he wouldn’t have to deal with any of these people again. Well, most of them. 

His and Zim’s relationship (again, for lack of a better word) had changed slightly. As of late it was more of a competition – Zim gloating about his latest plot and Dib going out of his way to stop him. It felt more like a game now than an actual battle for Earth. 

“Um…Excuse me?” said a voice about him. He looked up to see a rather pretty girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She had on an olive green jacket with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt. The shirt caught his attention, as it had a bright red Rebel Alliance logo on it. She was also wearing a rather long necklace with a strange triangular charm on it. 

He looked up at her face again, watching as she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She gave him a large smile. “Is anyone sitting here?” she asked, indicating the empty desk next to Dib. Dib rose a brow. No one ever wanted to sit next to the crazy kid. 

“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked bluntly. 

The girl shook her head. “Nope. Just moved here. You know the whole my mom got a job transfer thing.” She held out her hand and continued to smile. “I’m Midge Cuppari.” 

Dib didn’t shake her hand. He merely stared at her incredulously. “You don’t want to do this,” he assured her. 

Midge’s brow furrowed. “Do what?” 

“Sit next me,” answered Dib. “Or associate with me in anyway. You’ll be committing social suicide.” 

Midge suddenly looked very annoyed. “Seriously?” 

Dib let his eyes dart around the room. He could see the malicious stares and hear the snickers and whispers. “Look, trust me, you-,” 

“Too late,” Midge said, plopping down into the desk. There was a bright grin on her face. Dib eyed the empty desk in front of him. He really had tried to warn her. 

“You’re going to regret this,” Dib told her in a sing-song voice.  

Midge looked genuinely confused. Dib ignored it, beginning to count down on his fingers. 

Three, two, one… 

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!” rang a maniacal laughter as the owner walked into the classroom. He’d gotten taller over the years, but Dib’s growth spurt had outdone the Irken’s. Zim barely came up to his chest. 

“Zim.” The usual greeting. Tone full of disdain. Eyes narrowed in a heated glare. 

“Hello, _Dib_ ,” Zim replied. His expression was smug. That was never a good thing. “I trust you slept well?” 

Dib gritted his teeth. Of course he hadn’t slept well. He had been up all night dealing with Zim’s dozen of mutant fungi. Apparently GIR got a hold of that awful Super Mario Bros. movie. Or something. Sometimes Dib just tuned Zim out when he ranted. 

“Zim,” Dib growled, rising from his seat. “What are you up to this time?” 

Dib always got a sick sense of satisfaction whenever he stood to his full height. It was extremely amusing, the way Zim’s face contorted in rage. 

“You will never know, Dib-worm,” Zim shouted. “Zim has the perfect plan for your demise.” He strode over to Dib, obviously trying to adjust his stance to appear taller. “Yes! Your demise will be spectacular! And then this planet with BURN! BURN I SAY!” 

“It won’t happen, Zim,” Dib told him. There wasn’t a lot of space between them, but Dib was used to that. He sort of found it entertaining to try to find the ruby orbs that hid behind Zim’s lilac contacts. “I’ll stop you, just like I always do.” 

There was a pause, a silent contest. It was filled with tension and anger. Dib had long realized that he didn’t hate Zim. Did Zim make him angry? Definitely. Was Zim still the enemy? Absolutely. But Dib stopped hating Zim as soon as he gave up on capturing him. In a very disturbing sense, Dib needed Zim. For some sort of social interaction. For his sanity. To have some sort of purpose to keep him going. 

His mind went to a dark place for a second. What would have happened to him if Zim had never appeared in his life? 

“Just fuck already!” someone shrieked from the crowd of teenagers. It made both Dib and Zim jerk their heads toward the unidentifiable voice. Dib rolled his eyes. These people were so mature. 

“Who dares command Zim?!” Zim screamed, jumping on his desk. “Who dares interfere in my plans to destroy the Dib-beast?!” 

“Um,” a meek voice spoke from Dib’s other side. He’d actually forgotten about Midge. Her blue eyes were darting between the two of them. Dib silently shook his head at her, begging her not to interfere. It went unseen. “You’re just staring at him. How is that destroying him?” 

Dib tensed, watching Zim and Midge carefully. This was it. This girl was going to be the first of Zim’s brutal murders. And Dib wouldn’t know whether to blame himself or Midge for opening her mouth. 

“SILENCE!” Zim yelled, pointing a shaking finger at the blonde. “Do not question my brilliance you…small…yellow-haired…GOON!” 

Midge stared at Zim for a minute, looking baffled. Then she began to laugh. Dib could see the irritation in Zim’s face. He’d seen that look directed at him plenty of times. 

“Small, yellow-haired goon,” Midge repeated with a grin. “Never been called that before.” 

“Do I amuse you, small human?” Zim demanded, glaring daggers at Midge. “You dare laugh in the face of Zim?!” 

Before Zim could exact his vengeance, the teacher walked into the classroom. Zim threw Dib one last hateful look before they sat down in their seats. 

 Dib honestly didn’t understand. If Zim felt he was so superior, why even bother trying to fit in? Why go to school or partake in…any of the things he did? 

The class ended without much more excitement, minus Zim laughing again. The only difference today was the new girl, Midge. She waved to him and smiled as she went off to a locker across the hall. 

Something really wasn’t right about that. 

It only got weirder when Dib arrived to his next class. He found Midge there as well, already sitting in the desk next to his. She beamed as he approached, hesitating to take his seat. 

“Seriously, is this some sort of trick?” Dib asked her, his paranoia setting in. “Is someone paying you, or am I being punked?” 

Midge rose a brow, looking mildly concerned. “Does that happen often?” 

Dib shrugged. “In case you haven’t noticed, no one really talks to me. Well, except to insult me.” 

“That one kid talks to you,” Midge mentioned lightly. 

“Did you hear the part ‘except to insult me?’” Dib replied, finally sitting down. “Besides, that’s different. He’s kind of my arch-nemesis.” 

Midge blinked at him. “I feel like ‘arch-nemesis’ is something that shouldn’t be a ‘kind of.’” 

Dib frowned at her, suddenly feeling like he said too much. He didn’t know why he bothered. Whoever this girl was, and whatever her motivation was, Dib was sure that it would only be a matter of time before she realized her mistake in trying to talk to him and join the social norm. “Never mind,” he said. “Forget I said anything.” 

Midge rose a brow. “You say some other kid is your ‘arch-nemesis’ and you expect me not to want details?” 

Dib shook his head. He knew better than to try to convince anyone anymore. “You wouldn’t understand.” _More like you wouldn’t believe me if I told you._  

Dib was now looking at his History text book, but he could feel Midge’s gaze on him. Seriously, he was trying to be nice, but she really wasn’t taking the hint. Dib didn’t have friends. He’d accepted that several years ago. 

“Why’s that guy’s skin green anyway?” Midge asked suddenly. 

Dib shifted uncomfortably. He felt his eleven year old self want to scream out, “He’s an alien! Can’t you see that?!” But, he choked the words down. The last thing he needed was another trip to the Crazy House for Boys. 

“He has a skin condition,” Dib answered. His eleven year old self was probably vomiting at this point. He glanced at Midge for a moment. She looked...skeptical. Why would she be skeptical? It wasn’t like she had any reason not to believe the ridiculous lie that Zim had everyone else believing. 

“Is that also why he doesn’t have a nose? Or ears?”  

Dib stared. No one else had ever questioned the “skin condition” besides himself. For the smallest of moments, he considered leaning over and telling her the truth. Once again, he shook it off. This had to be some sort of trick. He would not give in. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to answer as the second class of the day began. This was one of the classes he didn’t have with Zim, and he always found himself uneasy. He didn’t like it when Zim was out of his sight. If the alien tried something it would be too late. So, the last thing he needed was so random girl bothering him. 

His paranoia heightened as the day went on. Midge was in every one of his classes, and insisted on sitting next to him every time. She even sat at his table during lunch. She would chatter away, no matter how disinterested Dib appeared. He manage to catch that her mother was a surgeon who suddenly got transferred to the local hospital, but honestly he didn’t really care. 

There were a couple of times that Zim would come over and start the usual fight. In the past this had been enough to steer people away (if they didn’t already avoid him due to his reputation.) However, this didn’t even phase Midge. She would just stand there quietly, watching their argument like a tennis match. Dib really didn’t understand. What was this girl's deal? 

By the end of the day, Dib was anxious and had every intention of hacking every corner of the Internet to figure out who this girl was and where she came from. 

There had been a few times in the past where people pretended to want to be his friend, mostly when he was forced to do group projects. They would be as sweet as could be, merely to get Dib to do all the work. Then, once it was over, they were back to being horrible and cruel. On the bright side, Dib never had to worry about his GPA taking a hit. These people could be so _stupid_. 

  

“Hey, Dib, wait up!” Midge called as the exited the school building. Dib tried increasing his pace, but Midge was quick. “Hey, I was wondering, since we have all the same classes maybe we could study together some time? Also I noticed you are way better at math than I am and-,” 

“Stop. Just stop. I don’t know what your deal is but I’m not interested,” Dib said flatly. He was ending this charade now. A very small part of him told him he shouldn't jump to conclusions, because Midge was definitely new, seeing as he had never seen her before. But he felt he had every right to be on guard, considering the circumstances. She'd followed him around like a lost puppy all day. Why'd she choose him, anyway? Surely she had to see how everyone else hated him? Obviously, something was up. 

Midge scowled. “I’m sorry?” 

“Look, whether you’re working for Zim, or...someone else, or you’re some other alien trying to bait me in-,” he froze, realizing his slip up. Midge just looked at him in confusion. “Look, I’m not buying it, okay?” 

Midge continued to stare at him, her big, blue eyes wide. Then she looked down and nodded. She looked like Dib had just crushed all her dreams. “Oh, okay,” she said quietly. Dib felt something twist in his chest. “I just…I’m sorry. It’s just I’m new and I saw you had a _Mysterious Mysteries_ shirt on…” She shook her head. She actually looked like she might cry. “Never mind. I’m sorry. I won’t bother you anymore.” 

“Wait, wait,” Dib said. Damn his bleeding heart. Not to mention the girl _had_ mentioned his t-shirt. “You...like Mysterious Mysteries?” The show had long since be cancelled. He wasn’t even aware anyone remembered it once existed. 

Midge looked up at him for a moment before looking back at her shoes. She fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket. “Yeah,” she replied with a shrug. “I mean, some of the episodes at way too far-fetched and I sort of end up laughing at them, but I used to watch it all the time as a kid.” 

Dib continued to stare. That actually sounded like a sincere answer. “What episodes?” 

Midge’s expression brightened. “Like the one where they were in Dracula’s castle?” 

Dib remembered that episode, and he couldn’t help but snort at the memory. He felt a foreign flutter of excitement. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he shared something in common with someone. “Yeah. I think they were sort of getting desperate at that point.” 

Midge smile was back full force. “Totally.” She adjusted her messenger bag, her expression becoming thoughtful. “Did you say something about an alien earlier?” 

Dib had seriously hoped Midge had just brushed that off. “What? No! Don’t be ridiculous! Just a figure of speech! Nope! No aliens here!” 

Midge looked the strangest combination of amused and baffled. “Right… Anyways, I have the whole series downloaded on my computer,” she said brightly. “How about you help me with Calculus and I share the wealth?” 

It sounded wonderful. It sound almost normal. It sounded too good to be true. It probably was, now that Dib stopped to think about it. However, he was reminded that his priorities were elsewhere tonight, anyway. 

“Can’t tonight,” he said, actually feeling a little disappointed. 

“Oh, yeah,” Midge said with a lopsided grin. “ 'Arch nemesis' called you out.”  

Dib didn’t like her use of air quotes. “…Yeah.” 

Midge shrugged. “Alright then,” she said. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and began tapping at it. “Is it alright if I get your number?” 

Dib hesitated. So far this girl didn’t seem to be a real threat, but he was still wary. However, maybe sticking close and keeping an eye on her was the best bet. “Sure.” 

“Great!” She typed away as Dib rambled off his cell phone number. “I’ll text you so you can have my number, too.” Her gaze shifted suddenly to the right, blinking. “Your arch nemesis is here.” 

Without a thought, Dib whirled around, seeing Zim staring at him and Midge. He looked particularly annoyed before stomping over and pointing at the blonde. 

“YOU!” he yelled, pushing between the two of them. “What do you want with the Dib-creature?!” 

Midge stared. Even though Zim was several inches taller than her, she didn’t appear intimidated. Just perplexed. “Um…” 

“Do not lie to me, yellow worm-baby!” Zim continued, poking Midge in the head. 

“Ouch!” 

“Leave her alone, Zim,” Dib ordered. He honestly didn’t care why Zim was interrogating Midge. Zim did weird things all the time. 

Zim turned around, getting right into Dib’s face. “I don’t think you’re taking this seriously, _Dib_ ,” he said darkly. “You cannot afford any distractions! When I unleash my latest plan, you will not have time to blink! You will perish with your eyes drying from their sockets as your precious planet burns around you. HAHAHAHA!” 

Dib looked over Zim’s head at Midge, whose face made Dib think she was either trying not to laugh or thinking about running away. He caught her gaze and mouthed, “Sorry.” He yelped as he felt his head being tugged down. 

“Look at me when I threaten your life, Dib-stink!” Zim shouted. “Gaze in terror at the greatness that is ZIM!” 

“Zim, let go of my hair!” Dib demanded. 

He was ignored as Zim turned back to Midge. “And you, you vile…BANANA! You are in way over your head! You have no clue with whom you are dealing! I am Zim! The great and powerful! And you will learn to fear me just as the Dib does!” 

Dib frowned. “I’m not afraid of you-,” 

“SILENCE!” Zim shouted, turning back to Dib. His rage filled expression twisted, becoming a dangerously confident smirk. Dib felt his heart rate increase as he glared in return. “It appears that you have acquired a new ally, _Dib_. However, you will find that it will make no difference! My plan is flawless this time! You might as well give yourself up to me, now, and save yourself the humiliation.” 

Dib continued to glare. It didn’t matter that he knew this plan was possible far from flawless. That it was very likely just as stupid and easily defeated as all the others. It didn’t matter that it was most likely not worth his time. No. That wasn’t how their game worked. Challenges were never disregarded, and threats were met with ultimate defiance. 

“ _Never_ ,” Dib growled, getting annoyed by the stupid smirk on Zim’s face. He wanted to smack it right off his face. He wanted to attack Zim with everything he had, if only to get him to stop looking so fucking smug. He hated that look. He hated how Zim’s voice became low and feral when he was being particularly threatening. He hated how close they were right now. He hated how his entire being lit up, how adrenaline rushed through his veins, how he suddenly had the insane urge to... 

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. He smashed that down like he was playing Whack-A-Mole, like he always did when such thoughts popped up. It was just from repressed hormones and years of loneliness, after all. 

Zim hadn't seemed to notice that Dib's train of thought had diverted temporarily. He finally took a step back, and a rush of cold air hit Dib's cheeks. The Irken was still smirking viciously. 

"Very well, Dib-stink!" Zim announced. "You have sealed your fate! I will warn you now, that you and your puny planet don't stand a GHOST of a CHANCE!" He cackled madly again, nearly skipping down the sidewalk. Dib watched him go, growling in aggravation. 

"He's the jealous type, huh?" He heard Midge say, breaking him from his angry stupor. When he realized what she said, he gave her a very pointed glare. 

"I am _not_ going to dignify that with a response," he said, folding his arms across his chest. 

Midge just shrugged. "Meh. Whatever," she replied. Her nonchalance really annoyed him. "So, raincheck on the _Mysterious Mysteries_ marathon?" 

Dib almost forgot about that. "Yeah. Duty calls." 

Midge waved her hand dismissively. "No prob. I can just go to the library or something." 

Dib nodded, not sure what else to say. He checked his wrist watch, groaning when he realized he'd miss his usual bus home. He cursed his towns DPS. Apparently being sent to the Crazy House more than once made it very difficult to get a drivers license. "I gotta get home," he told Midge. 

"Alright. See ya," she said, waving as she walked away. "Good luck saving the world!" 

Dib wasn't sure if she was being sincere or sarcastic. Honestly, he didn't care. He'd figure out what was up with the new girl later. 

For now, he had a psychotic alien to stop.


	2. Chapter 2

As Dib walked into his house that afternoon, he wasn’t surprised to see that his father wasn’t home. Professor Membrane was almost never home, which was completely fine with Dib. When his father was home, he made a point to nag Dib about stopping his current aspirations and pursuing REAL SCIENCE! Dib rolled his eyes at the thought. He mostly tuned the old man out, nowadays. 

Gaz, however, was home, and was currently eating a snack on the couch as she watch some gruesome show on the T.V.  Even being almost sixteen, Gaz still liked a lot of the same things from when she was little. 

Then again, Dib didn’t really have room to talk. 

His and Gaz’s relationship had evolved somewhat. They acted more like siblings than reluctant house mates. Gaz still insulted him frequently, but it didn’t have the same malice as before. Dib thought sometimes that they even acted like a normal brother and sister. 

“Off to stalk your boyfriend?” Gaz grumbled  as Dib raced up the stairs. He stopped so fast he almost fell down. 

“Zim is NOT my boyfriend!” he screeched. 

Gaz was hardly fazed. “Keep telling yourself that.” She mumbled. Just as Dib shook his head and made to head to his room, Gaz spoke again. “Who’s that girl you were talking to at lunch today, anyway?” 

Dib shrugged. “Some new girl. Her name’s Midge.” 

Gaz turned in her seat, looking at Dib curiously. “You actually managed to not scare away another human being?” 

Dib rolled his eyes. Gaz never came out and admitted that she believed Zim was an alien, but Dib was sure she knew. “She’s…weird,” he explained. “Zim doesn’t even seem to bother her. I’m honestly thinking she’s a plant for some kind of elaborate prank or something.” 

Gaz looked highly unimpressed. “You ever think you’re too paranoid?” 

“Nope,” Dib replied simply before racing the rest of the way up the stairs. 

Once in his room, Dib began digging through his many boxes of supplies. He’d acquired lots of parts and pieces from Irken technology (all stolen from Zim. He was anything but sorry.) With some additions from his own scraps and some tinkering, he had managed to make several gadgets over the years. He took out a few of the ones he was sure he would need tonight before grabbing a remote off his desk and turning on his holo-board. He was so glad he had gotten around to building one of these. They beat whiteboards right out of the water. 

He picked up his stylus and tapped it on his chin, wracking his brain to decipher any clues that Zim might have left during their encounters that day. Zim liked to brag, and always left some sort of riddle with Dib whenever he called him out. Dib wondered about that every now and then, but quickly shoved it aside. Zim was just so arrogant.  

 _“You don’t stand a GHOST of a CHANCE!”_  

Ghost? Wait, how would Zim use ghosts against him? Did he suddenly obtain some sort of technology that could conjure spirits? Or was he simply going to turn his base into one of those cheesy haunted houses? Dib ran a head through his hair. Summoning ghosts had more to do with black magic than science, which really wasn’t up Zim’s alley. 

Ghost. Ghosts were spirits that had unfinished business. Imprints of a dead person’s soul. Dib’s brow furrowed as he glided the stylus across the holo-board. Dead. Death! The cemetery perhaps? It wasn’t a complete answer to what Zim was doing, but it was at least a start. 

After a quick circle of his conclusion and saving the page, Dib switched off the holo-board and began packing his bag for the night. Once he was all set, he hoisted the bag over his shoulder and raced down the stairs. 

“Don’t be home too late, moron,” Gaz called as he left out the front door. 

Dib didn’t answer as he shut the door behind him. He figured Zim, hating this city as much as he did, wouldn’t go much further than the nearest cemetery, which Dib was quite (unfortunately) familiar with. Dib decided he would get there before Zim and assess the situation before stopping the Irken’s ridiculous plan…whatever it was. 

Dib wasn’t afraid of a lot of things. Being a paranormal investigator made one used to the weird and the creepy. However, he could never help but feel uneasy in cemeteries. Maybe it was because he was very aware that he was walking among loads of dead bodies buried deep in the ground. Maybe it was because they reminded him of the time he got in over his head when he tried to raise the dead (he still couldn’t understand how his father could believe in _that_ and not that the stupid green kid that always showed up was an alien, but Dib digressed.) Or maybe, it was because he had recently got into Doctor Who and now all the statues made him think of Weeping Angels. 

Shaking off his discomfort, he continued his deliberate strides. He noticed a mausoleum on a hill, which gave an excellent view of the cemetery all the way to the entrance. Dib made his way to it, keeping an eye out for any surprise attacks. The door made the stereotypical squeak as he opened it.  He shook off another wave of nerves as he entered the crypt, leaving the door slightly ajar so he could keep look out. Then he sat down and began unpacking his bag. 

He pulled his laser gun first, checking it over to make sure it hadn’t been jostled too much in the trip from the house. It was over a year old now, with smudges and scratches, but it worked perfectly fine. He shoved the weapon into the inside pocket of his trench coat. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to use it.  

After equipping his weapon he pulled out a protein bar and a water bottle. The water was dyed blue from some energy supplement powder he had poured in there, because Dib knew he needed to stay alert. He almost wished he had waited to eat dinner first, but brushed it off. Too late, now. Besides, Earth's safety was more important than his love for burgers. 

It was late into the night when Zim finally appeared. The mausoleum had gone eerily dark and only the silvery light of the moon gave Dib his ability to see. He watched as Zim walked toward the middle of the cemetery, his robot-dog-assistant, Gir, trailing behind him. The robot was carrying something. It was large and looked like some kind of barrel. Twisting red and yellow cords were flowing out of it. Dib’s eyes narrowed as Gir sat the item down, pulling at the cords and stretching them.  

What the hell was Zim up to? What was that thing?  

He had to get closer. Packing his bag once more, Dib slipped out of the crypt when Zim’s back was turned. Carefully, with all the stealth he could muster, he made his way down the hill, closer to Zim and the device below. He took cover behind a rather large tombstone, having to crouch down. Most times, Dib was rather proud of his height. This was not one of those times. 

“Yes, it is all coming together!” Dib heard Zim declare with a cackle. “Soon, these filthy dirt memorials will burst forth, allowing for an invasion like no other!” He laughed maniacally. “Poor little, stink-beasts. They’ll be destroyed by their own kind. Dead will run rampant in the streets, leaving only Zim to conquer all! HAHAHAHAHA!” 

Destroyed by their own kind? Dead running in the streets? Dib peered around the tombstone he hid behind. Four cords were spread out from the large, silver barrel, the ends hammered into the ground. The gears in Dib’s head turned before he came to a harrowing conclusion. No. Zim would never… 

“The goldfish is in Peru!” Gir shrieked as he jumped into Dib’s face. Dib let out an ungraceful squawk as he fell backwards. He shook it off quickly, realizing his mistake. 

“So nice of you to join us, Dib-stink,” Zim said, his toothy grin hovering over Dib. 

Dib scrambled to his feet, glaring daggers at the Irken. “I know what you’re doing, Zim! And I won’t let you get away with it!” 

“Preposterous!” Zim declared. “There is no way your puny dirt brain could EVER comprehend the genius of my plan!” 

“I’m not gonna let you unleash a bunch of zombies on the city, Zim!” 

“See! You know nothing, dirt-child! There are no BEES in Zim’s flawless plan! Only undead minions that will tear you to shreds!” 

Dib frowned. “Walking dead are called zombies, Zim.” 

“Lies! LIES I SAY!” He suddenly pulled out a remote control and pressed one of the two buttons on it. The device made a whirring noise, and Dib could almost feel the ground vibrate. “Do you feel that, Dib? In merely three minutes, the Electro-doomer will be fully charged, and your very own dead will walk the streets, tearing apart all that you hold dear! Your planet is doomed. DOOMED I SAY!” 

Dib leapt at that, tackling Zim to the ground. The remote went flying, skidding across the grass. He made to go after it, but Zim threw him down. It always surprised him how strong Zim really was. Even after all these years, and even though Dib towered over him, Zim was still a very difficult opponent. 

They tussled on the ground for quite some time. One would get the remote for only a moment before the other knock it clear across the cemetery. Dib’s fist collided with Zim’s jaw. Zim’s claws slashed across Dib’s face. Kicking, grappling, using any advantage to over power the other. However, with a swift knee to Dib’s gut, Zim got free, tumbling across a family plot to grab the abandoned remote. 

Dib regained his bearings, holding his stomach where Zim had hit him. The right side of his face stung horribly, and was sticky with blood. He took solace in the fact that he hadn’t lost his eye. 

Just as he made to attack the Irken once more, the device gave off a strange jingle. It reminded Dib of his washing machine whenever a load was done. Zim gave Dib a terrible smirk as he lifted the remote above his head. 

“Farewell, Dib!” he shouted, pushing the second button on the remote. 

“No!” Dib screamed as the device made a more fervent whirring noise. Sparks shot from the top, traveling down the cords and into the ground. He could feel a slight tremor in the earth. Dib’s heart was pounding in his ears. _Please don’t work. Please don’t work._  

All Dib could hear in that moment was Zim’s infuriating laughter ringing loud across the cemetery, mixed with the almost squeal that came from the device. He took a step toward Zim, ready to attack, only to be stopped by the sound of clanging and squeaking. Both of them turned to the device as the sparks dissipated. A calm breeze blew through the cemetery. 

“Eh?” Zim grunted, pressing the button on the remote over and over.  “What is this?! Gir! Analyze!” 

“The jar is full of pudding!” Gir squealed, his mechanical giggles erupting. 

“Pudding?!” Zim gasped. “Impossible! There is no pudding in my perfectly magical Electro-doomer!” 

Dib couldn’t help it. He laughed so hard he had to clutch his bruising abdomen. He should have known that Zim wouldn't be able to resurrect real zombies. 

“What are you laughing at, dirt-monkey?!” Zim demanded. “Cease your cackling at once!” 

“Once again, Zim, you fail!” Dib taunted once he sobered enough to speak. “I’m going home. Quiz in English tomorrow, you know.” 

“Coward!” Zim hollered. “You’re stupid human quiz cannot save you from the fate that awaits you! Come back here, Dib! Face me properly as your enemy!” 

Dib had no intention of doing that. He was going to go home, tend to his wounds, take a shower, maybe do some crash studying, then go to bed. In retrospect, he really wondered why he even bothered. Zim’s bigger, scarier ideas never came to fruition. 

Then, he felt another tremor in the ground, stronger and deeper. It continued on, beginning to shake the earth ominously. Was this an earthquake? Had Zim’s failure merely cause another disaster to befall mankind? 

Then, Dib’s golden eyes widened with horror as he heard the rustling of dirt, the cracking of breaking stone, of mausoleum doors bursting open. 

“They’re heeerrreeee!” Gir chimed in, his eyes glowing red. 

Zombies. Real, groaning, disgusting zombies had risen from their graves. Some were missing limbs. Some had barely any skin hanging from their faces. Some had scraggly hair falling into their gaunt, decomposing faces. 

If he wasn’t fearing for his life, Dib would be taking all kinds of pictures for his research. 

Zim’s howling laughter returned full force. “Do you see? DO YOU SEE NOW, DIB! The corpses of your fallen have RISEN! And now they will sate their hunger with you DISGUSTING MONKEY FLESH! MONKEY FLESH OF DOOM!” 

Fear gripped Dib as the zombies gathered, crowding into groups of five and ten. This couldn’t be happening! He pulled out his laser gun, making sure to shoot at ones that looked like they were going to escape the cemetery. He made to move toward the entrance to gain a better position, but found that there was no way around the horde. Dib unconsciously took a step back. The zombies were surrounding. 

Gir let out a high pitched giggle. “We gonna do the MONSTA’ MASH!” 

Dib spared a glance over his shoulder. “Uh…Zim?” 

“Away foul beasts!” the Irken yelled. “I am your master! The one who gave you life! Obey me! Obey the authority that is ZIM!” 

“They’re not listening, you idiot!” Dib shouted, beginning to shoot again. “Did you not bring any weapons with you?” 

“Eh?! What do you take me for, stink-child!” Zim retorted. Dib could see him pull out a gun that was much larger that his own. He chuckled quietly. 

“Compensating for something, Space Boy?” he teased, feeling Zim’s PAK touch his back. 

“I owe no one any compensation!” Zim retorted, the joke going right over his head. His gun had more power than Dib’s, and was able to take down more zombies at once. “If any one should pay, Dib-stink, it should be you!” 

“Me?!” Dib cried indignantly. He shot a couple more zombies, concentrating on head shots. “This was your idea!” 

“Yes, but it’s your smelly, smelly, Earth flesh that’s luring them to us!” 

Dib took a moment to roll his eyes. He really wanted to point out that Zim basically lured him here – which still made this whole thing Zim’s fault – but decided he was better off shooting. The zombies were closing in. 

“Curses,” Zim said. Dib could feel a slight movement in Zim’s PAK and watched as a couple of his PAK legs went to work. Dib didn’t like the tone of his voice. “There’s too many of them.” 

Dib swallowed hard. Zim sounded serious. He’d only heard that tone a few times, and it never boded well _. Great, I’m gonna be the first one to die in a zombie apocalypse._ He glanced over his shoulder again, noticing the look of determination on Zim’s face. _Well, at least I won’t be alone._  

“Looks like the end of the line for us, Zim,” Dib told him, a small grin on his face. 

Zim glance at Dib, his face returning the expression. “Yes, it seems so.” 

Then, Dib felt something that nearly made him jump. A touch on his free hand. A feeling of warm, rubber covered claws gripping his fingers. His heart leaped up into his throat. 

“What’s that old human saying?” Zim asked, his hand never leaving Dib’s. “Let’s give them hell?” 

Dib couldn’t help it as he smiled genuinely, finding himself squeezing the hand in his own. _What the hell, we’re about to get eaten by zombies._ “Yeah. Let’s give ‘em hell.” 

Just when the two of them took position, hands clasped tightly, ready to go down fighting in a horde of gross, rotting zombies, a stray shot rang out across the cemetery. It was followed by a loud metallic explosion. Dib looked around, looking for the source, only to be distracted as the zombies stopped their assault. In a sudden wave, they began to fizzle out, fading away into the night. Dib gaped in utter confusion. The cemetery looked just as it had before, quiet and untouched. 

“Gir,” Zim growled to his assistant. “Did you, eh, pack the testing prototype instead of the actual Electro-doomer?” 

Gir stuck out his tongue. “I don’t know.” 

When the shock wore off, Dib shrieked in frustration. “Holograms?! Those were freaking holograms?!” He felt himself being tugged backward. 

“Hey!” Zim shouted. Dib turned his head to see a couple of shadowy silhouettes a few feet away. “How dare you destroy my Electro-doomer!” 

“I thought you said it was the prototype?” Dib questioned. 

“SILENCE!” Zim roared. He suddenly looked down, realizing he and Dib were still holding hands. Dib had kind of forgotten that, too. Zim yanked his hand away. “Gah! Get your pig fingers off me you germ infested ape!” 

Dib scowled. “In case you forgot, Space Boy, you grabbed my hand!” 

“LIES!” Zim hollered. “Your giant head is filled with lies and…SALAD!” 

“Salad? What the-,” 

“If the two of you are quite done being idiotic,” called a very familiar feminine voice. “We have something important to discuss.” 

Once the voice’s owner came into the light – in the disguise she used during her last visit – both Dib and Zim pointed their weapons at her. 

“TAK!” they both gasped. 

The second shadow moved forward, waving his arms. “Whoa, time out. Everybody calm down!” 

He looked human, as far as Dib could tell. He didn’t look much older, but was a bit taller. His hair was brown and Dib could barely see his green eyes. Dib frowned. What was some random human doing with Tak? Why was Tak back in the first place? 

“You!” Zim shouted, pointing his gun at the brown haired guy. “First, you destroy my precious and most genius weapon and now you bring this,” he gestured to Tak, “PUKE FACE into this?!” 

“Puke face?!” Tak screamed in outrage. 

“Could you two just…not?” the brunet said, sounding exasperated. 

Dib rose a brow. “Asking them to ‘just not’ is like asking a snail to pick up the pace.” 

The brunet shrugged. “I guess I should have thought of that before.” 

Dib kept his gun pointed at Tak but turned to face the brunet. “Who are you?” 

“Dek Nazo,” the brunet replied. “Alien Relocator.” 

Dib stared at him for a long time. “That’s a thing?” 

Dek nodded. “Yes.” 

“Huh. Never heard of it.” 

“It’s not done very often,” Dek replied with a shrug. “Most of the time when we find an alien they’re either psychotic megalomaniacs or dead.” 

Dib gave Dek an unimpressed look. “You do know Tak’s the first one, right?” 

“Shut you dirt mouth, you filthy urchin!” Tak shouted. 

“Hey! Only Zim will tell the filthy urchin what to do!” Zim yelled. 

“Like hell, you will,” Dib argued. 

“So you _are_ Zim!” Dek said, looking pleased, “Good, good, that makes this much easier.” 

“Eh?” 

“Wait,” Dib questioned. “Makes what much easier?” 

“Well,” Dek said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m an Alien Relocator. And Tak, here, is my latest case. I’m planning on helping her build a base nearby, but helping her adapt will be much easier with another Irken nearby.” 

“Eh?” Zim repeated. 

Dib spared a glance at Zim, than another at Tak. It surprised him that the female Irken hadn’t made a move to attack. After a moment of thinking, it was easy enough to put two and two together. “You can’t be serious. They’ll kill each other if their within a hundred foot radius.” 

“Not exactly,” Dek replied confidently. “I have Tak under twenty-four hour surveillance for the time being. She’ll have her own place just…nearby.” 

“Unfortunately,” Tak added. An evil smirk crept across her face. “No need to worry, worm. Your precious Zim will be perfectly safe from my justified fury.” 

“He’s not my-,” Dib tried to argue, but he was cut off. 

“Zim belongs to no one, Tak-monster! Least of all the Dib!” His gaze turned back to Dek. “What nonsense are you speaking, worm-baby?” 

Dek looked a little nervous about the weapon in Zim’s hands. “Uh…Tak’s gonna be living here? On this planet? And we would like your help if need be?” 

“Oh is that all – WHAT?!” Zim’s eyes looked like they might actually pop out of his head. “That monsterous creton on my planet?!” 

“Look, after a year or so she would just leave the city-,” Dek attempted. 

“She will take all that is mine and destroy me as soon as she gets the chance!” Zim argued. 

Dib was pretty sure Tak’s smirk could only look more horrible if she hadn’t been wearing her disguise. “You’ve grown quite a bit, haven’t you, Dib?” she almost purred. 

Zim’s weapon changed it’s target to Tak so fast it made Dib’s head spin. He was certain he even heard Zim growl. 

“Stop! Geez!” Dek yelled again. “Look, can we discuss this somewhere else? Somewhere less…dead?” 

Dib stared at Dek for a moment before finally deciding that the brunet wasn’t a threat. Tak didn’t seem like much either, at least for the moment. If she had wanted them dead she would have acted by now. Dib sighed. He was tired from fighting Zim and the holographic zombies. He spared a look at his wristwatch. “Shit! I gotta get home.” 

“You will do no such thing!” Zim yelled. 

“Wait,” Dek called. “I think I might need some help between these two. You got a number I can reach you by?” 

Dib frowned. “I’m not in the business of giving my number to strangers.” Though he had given his number to Midge that day, but she was a classmate and wasn’t really threatening so much as suspicious. 

“I have the Dib-beast’s numbers of contact!” Zim called victoriously. 

Dib glared at him. “You jerk!” 

“Perfect!” Dek replied brightly. “Just in case I find myself in over my head. So, it’s Dib, right?” 

Dib sighed. “Yeah. By the way, good luck,” he told Dek, looking past him to see Zim and Tak starting to fight. “You’re gonna need it.” 

“Dammit!” Dek growled. “Both of you, cut it out!” 

Dib watched him run off before making his way out of the cemetery. He couldn’t wait to get home. He felt tired and gross. And his cheek was still stinging faintly. 

As he made his way down the street, he glance down at his left hand. The hand that Zim had grabbed onto when they thought they were going to die. Why had Zim done that? He racked his brain to think of any other times the two of them had seemingly been so close to death. Most of them had been when they were younger. This had been the first time in a long while that one of Zim’s plans had become – or appeared to become – dangerous. 

But, why grab Dib’s hand, though? Dib sort of expected the moment of understanding, the moment where they felt like they were really allies. He didn’t hate Zim, and he’d bet his alien sleeper cuffs that Zim felt the same. That didn’t explain why the Irken had taken his hand in what they thought were their final moments. 

Or why Dib had held Zim’s hand in return… 

Dib slapped himself, immediately regretting it as he let of a stream of curses and clutched his injured cheek. He’d just slapped where Zim had scratched him. Why did he do these things to himself? Why did he have to go and stupidly slap a wound and make it worse? Why’d he have to go and let himself be lured into a stupid trap that turned out to be yet another one of Zim’s failures? Why’d he have to go and hold his worst enemy’s hand when he thought he was going to die? 

Dib sighed roughly as they came to his street, his house in sight. All of the lights were out, signaling that everyone was asleep. He’d have to climb through his bedroom window as he always did when he came home late. Waking Gaz was a one way trip to a slow and painful death, and one near death experience was quite enough for Dib that night. 

“Ugh!” Dib grumbled at he came up to his house. “Stop it! Stop thinking about it now!” He had to stop thinking about Zim’s stupid hand and Zim’s stupid, cocky grin and Zim being all stupid and cool! 

Instead, as he climbed up the lattice work and into his bedroom, he thought about Dek, that weird dude that had brought Tak. Dib had never heard of Alien Relocators, but he wasn’t surprised something like that existed. He was sure there had to be some aliens that didn’t obsess over taking over Earth and destroying the human race. 

“Grrr! Stop it!” he hissed to himself. 

He found his first aid fit and treated his wounds where he could. His abdomen was bruised but there wasn’t much he could do for that. He turned his attention to the scratch on his cheek. It wasn’t deep, but would probably scar if not tended to properly. Honestly, Dib sort of like the idea of scars. They made him feel like a seasoned warrior. He knew he definitely had several from just Zim alone. 

Dib groaned again. His thoughts always went full circle. They always came back to Zim. 

Dib figured it was best to just go to bed. He wasn't going to figure out what Dek was about tonight, nor was he going to bother studying for that quiz (he’d still be fine. His memory was impeccable.) Nor was Dib going to figure out why in the actual hell Zim had reached out and grabbed his hand before they met their thought-to-be demise. 

After dressing his scratch wounds and showering, Dib stripped down to his boxers and flopped onto his bed, determined to just fall asleep. He spared a glance across the room, at the giant collage of pictures he had of Zim. They nearly took up the entire wall. He narrowed his eyes. 

“You are the most obnoxious person in the universe,” Dib hissed at the pictures, even though he knew the real Zim couldn’t hear him. Or maybe he could. They did have a habit of bugging each other’s houses. 

With that uncomfortable thought in mind, Dib laid his glasses on his bedside table and closed his eyes. He was going to sleep, and no stupid Irken with big ruby eyes holding his hand was going to stop him. 

He only debated on suffocating himself with his pillow five times before finally falling into slumber. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following song lyrics used in this chapter are from: 
> 
> Your Love Is My Drug by Ke$ha 
> 
> E.T. by Katy Perry 
> 
> Also, Guess who actually took the time to look up vegan, gluten-free recipes? *points to self proudly* 
> 
> Also, also, HOW’D THIS CHAPTER GET SO FREAKING LONG I JUST DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO STOP WHAT?

“Dude,” Midge said as Dib walked into class that morning, “what the _fuck_ happen to you?” 

Dib unconsciously reached up to touch his cheek. It was still tender and sore, but it didn’t burn as much as it had initially. “Oh, you know, got into a bit of a brawl last night.” 

Midge tilted her head. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say it was with Zim?” 

Dib sat down. “Yeah,” he told her with a shrug. “It happens.” 

“It…happens?” Midge asked, sounding mildly concerned. 

“Uh-huh.” 

Midge blinked at him for moment, and Dib couldn’t help but feel like she was judging him. Where’d she get off judging him, anyway?! Fights between boys were normal. Even if his hadn’t been with another boy so much as an egotistical alien…still… 

He was about to voice his displeasure at her pointed gaze when she spoke again. “Where is Zim, anyway?” 

Dib furrowed his brow, his annoyance with Midge melding into curiosity. Zim was usually here by now…unless he was up to something. He remembered how Tak had showed up last night, and that dude, Dek. What if Dib had misjudged the situation, and it turned out they had been after Zim all along? What if Zim was in trouble? Not that he really cared, but he and Zim sort of had an understanding where no one else was allowed to try and kill the other so –  

“Dib!” 

“Huh?! What?” 

Midge was staring at him, her blue eyes full of concern. “You spaced out for a moment. Everything okay?” 

Dib hesitated. No, everything was not okay. For all he knew, Zim was being horribly tortured by that so called Alien Relocator and that vicious snake of a female Irken. Or, Zim was preparing to remedy his mistake from last night. Either way, Dib was in a tight spot. He had to pick and choose wisely when he skipped school nowadays. Dib had had to go to court for being truant so much, and now couldn’t get out of class unless he had a legitimate excuse. And apparently saving planet Earth wasn’t legitimate enough. 

Besides, it was only first period. For all he knew, Zim was running late putting the finishing touches on some new means of destruction. It wasn’t unusual. There was nothing to worry about it. 

He’d give it a day. He could go home and check the cameras he had in Zim’s base, then. There was no need to jump to conclusions. 

 

000000000000000000 

 

Zim had found his cameras. He’d found his fucking cameras! Dib kicked a rock as he hopped off the bus. He only realized his mistake when Midge had to dodge it. 

“Hey, watch it, David Beckham!” Midge told him, closing the book she was reading and standing up. She put the book in her messenger bag and dusted herself off. 

Dib rubbed the back of his neck, some of his irritation disappearing. “Sorry,” he told her.  

Midge rolled her eyes. “No big deal. What’s got you so worked up, anyway?” 

Dib hesitated. He really didn’t want to admit to a girl he’d only known a couple days that he had placed cameras in a classmate’s house. The thought of losing his equipment made him angry all over again. He could always just put more in, of course, but it was inconvenient and annoying. He realized Midge was still waiting on an answer. “Er…you wouldn’t happened to have seen Zim, would you?” 

Midge shook her head. “I guess you haven’t heard from him?” 

Dib shook his head, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. With Tak and the Alien Relocator running around, there were too many variables. And Zim had taken away Dib’s eyes on him. Dib had even tried calling the idiot. It was no surprise when Zim hadn’t answered. Stupid lizard. 

“You wanna just ditch?” 

“Huh?” Dib grunted, Midge voice shoving him out of his thoughts. 

“Well, this is obviously bothering you,” Midge said matter-of-factly. “I’m sort of afraid if we stay here any longer you’ll have a panic attack.” 

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Dib blurted. He was mostly trying to get the subject off of ditching school. He couldn’t afford any more truancies. 

Midge raised a brow and blinked. “Yeah, well, I refuse to witness that. I have a car. I can take you to his house.” 

Besides the truancy issue, there were several reasons why that was a bad idea. Midge – as far as Dib could tell, anyway – didn’t know Zim was an alien, and the last thing he needed was her to go into a panic from seeing Zim without his disguise. Not to mention, who knew what Zim would do to the poor girl. 

“I don’t know…” Dib said, fidgeting. 

“Go, moron.” 

“GAH! Gaz, don’t do that!” Dib shouted. He rose a brow at her. “Where did you come from anyway?” 

Gaz rolled her eyes. “From the fourth dimension.” She quipped in a bored tone. “Go check on Zim.” 

Dib choked. “What makes you think I wanna check on that alien scum?” 

Gaz glared. Dib was certain shadows and demons were gathering around her. “If you don’t go, I’m going to twist your head until it pops off.” 

Midge hid behind Dib. “He’ll go! I’ll make sure he does! Please don’t summon Cthulhu or something!” 

Gaz stopped glaring. “I’ll tell your teachers that you went home sick. And don’t worry about Dad. You know he won’t find out.” 

Then she stalked off toward the school entrance. A couple of girls in her year greeted her and followed. He knew them to be the ones Gaz sat with at lunch now. Dib still couldn’t grip that Gaz had a group of friends now. Or maybe they were minions. Who knew? 

“Sheesh, is your sister part demon or something?” Midge asked, coming out from behind Dib. 

“Probably,” Dib replied frankly. He froze for a second. He hadn’t mentioned having a sister, or even pointed Gaz out. “How did you know she was my sister?” 

Midge pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Lucky guess,” she said. She then patted Dib’s shoulder. “Ready to go?” 

“Wait, what about you?” Dib asked. “You’re new here. You’ll make a bad first impression.” 

“Meh,” Midge said with a shrug. “First impressions aren’t everything.” 

 

000000000000000000 

 

Midge’s car was nothing special, just an old Toyota Camry. It was a dark blue, with paint chips here and there. Dib was pretty sure the left back tire was low on air. 

“Is, um,” Dib asked cautiously. “Your car’s safe, right?” 

Yes, Dib had been in space before, several times, but said vessels were all well structured and made of advanced technology. Not that he would admit that to Zim. 

Midge frowned at him as she unlocked the car. “Not all of us are loaded, you know,” she pointed out. 

“I didn’t mean-,” Dib back-tracked but Midge waved him off. 

“Don’t worry, Dib. Bessie is the safest car in the galaxy,” she said with a grin. She opened the driver side door. 

Dib blinked. “You named your car Bessie?” 

“Yes,” Midge replied simply. “Now come on. We’re burning daylight.” 

Dib sighed, figuring he’d already come this far so he might as well just get in the car. Upon entering the passenger seat, the found the car to be immaculately clean. It kind of surprised him. Then again, he still didn’t know Midge very well. 

As Midge started the car, she pulled out an adaptor tape and slid it into the tape player. She took the other end and plugged in into her phone and began scrolling. Dib watch as she brought up a music list and punched the shuffle button. A song began to play as they pulled out of the parking spot. 

 ** _Maybe I need some rehab_**  

 ** _Or maybe just need some sleep_**  

 ** _I got a sick obsession_**  

 ** _I’m seeing it in my dreams_**  

Dib scowled. “Really?” he sighed out loud. 

Midge hummed in acknowledgement as she clicked on her turn signal. “You can change it if you want,” she told him, indicating her phone. 

Dib’s mouth became a thin line. He felt phones were sort of a personal thing, and allowing someone to go through them was a large sign of trust. He really didn’t understand this girl. Why was she being so nice to him? 

Tentatively, Dib picked up the phone from the cup  holder it sat in, beginning to scroll through Midge’s music list. She had very eclectic taste, having everything from pop to rap to rock. 

 “You have Skillet?” He asked when he came across the band. 

Midge snorted. “Why am I not surprised that you like Skillet?” 

Dib frowned. That was an odd comment. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Midge shook her head. “Nothing. Hurry up and pick. I can tell I'm tormenting your brain right now.” She gave him a teasing grin.

None the less, Dib began to search the list of songs quicker before finding the song he was looking for. As soon as the booming violin opening  of _Rebirthing_ began to play. Midge beamed. “Good choice,” she said. “That’s my favorite Skillet song.” 

Dib stared at her. “Mine, too,” he admitted. He was feeling the strangest mix up of emotions. A part of him like this. A part of him wanted to let this new camaraderie happen. But another part, a darker part, couldn’t help but still feel like none of this was real. That at any moment, the rug would be pulled from under him. 

Despite his best efforts, he tensed at the thought. He even considered abandoning this mission altogether in case whatever trap Midge was a part of was about to be sprung. But, that would get him no where. He was better off keeping the girl close, and staying vigilant of any slip ups. 

 “So, which way am I turning?” Midge asked as they approached a stop light. 

“Turn left,” Dib told her.  

“Alrighty, then,” Midge replied, making the turn as the light turned green. 

 

000000000000000000 

 

Zim’s house was hardly ever quiet. Dib knew from years of sneaking in that there was always some sort of commotion going on. However, as they got out of the car, Dib didn’t hear a peep, not even a squeal from Gir. 

“His house looks like something out of _The Nightmare Before Christmas,_ ” Midge observed, tilting her head. 

Dib’s brow furrowed. “You know, I never thought about that.” He made to enter the yard, holding Midge back as she tried to follow. “You might wanna let me go first.” 

Midge looked perplexed, but she obeyed. “Okay.” 

Dib took a deep breath and let it out slowly, playing out his usual routine in his head. Then, he jumped into the air, flipping and hopping to avoid to lasers the lawn gnomes always fired. Finally, he made it to the front porch, where the gnomes never dared to shoot. 

“Whoa,” Midge said, sounding sincerely impressed. “Where’d you learn to do all that?!” 

Dib brushed himself off, unable to help the smug look on his face. “Eh. It’s nothing.” He leaned closer to the door, trying to listen. He couldn’t hear anything.  That was never a good sign. 

“Zim?” Dib called, pounding on the door. “Hey, Zim, Tak hasn’t killed you has she?” 

When there was no answer, Dib nudged the door with his shoulder. The fake living room was dark and completely empty. “Zim?” he called again, entering the house. 

“Uh…Dib?” 

“Ah!” Dib yelped, jumping slightly. He found Midge looking extremely apologetic standing right behind him. “Are you crazy?! You can’t just sneak up on people!” Then, he gave the girl a confused look. “How did you get passed the lawn gnomes?” 

“Oh, uh, I just did what you did,” Midge replied, twirling the hair at the end of her pony-tail.  

Dib narrowed his eyes. “You just…did what I did?” 

Midge shrugged. “I’m a fast learner,” she replied. “But, anyway, we might have problem-,” 

“ZIM!” 

Dib winced at that familiar shriek. “What the hell is Tak doing here?!” 

“That’s what I was talking about,” Midge explained. “Some crazy bitch on stilts is coming this way. She looks pissed.” 

There was a blur of movement before the front door was slammed shut. Zim had shown himself and was now latching the door several times. Midge exchanged glances with Dib. To his surprised, the girl didn’t look scared, not even when Dib realized that the Irken was out of his disguise. 

“That stupid Alien Relocator!” Zim growled as he locked the last latch. “I will tear out his innards and use them for bungee cords!” He then turned, jumping when he saw Dib behind him. “Gah! Dib-stink!” His eyes narrowed. Dib ignored the thrill that went up his spine at the Irken’s real eyes looking at him like that. “I don’t have time for you, stupid human! I have more important matters to attend to!” 

Dib just blinked at him. He felt the slightest bit of jealousy when he saw that there was no sign of where he had punched Zim the night before. It was annoying that Dib was always covered in injuries and Zim just regenerated them away.  

“How did you piss of Tak this time?” he asked, deciding he might as well get some information. 

“Eh?! I did no such thing!” Zim yelled. “She dared to come into my base and use my equipment! I simply returned the favor!” 

Dib had no trouble translating that statement. “So…you stole from her.” 

“Lies! Lies and slander!” 

“Um…guys?” Midge interrupted, looking warily out the window. 

“You!” Zim shouted, pushing past Dib and getting into Midge’s face. “How dare you show yourself before Zim, again?!” 

Midge looking completely unfazed. “Did you get pink eye, or something?” 

Zim made to retort before he felt around on his face. In flash, his contacts and wig were secured into place. Dib rolled his eyes. “You saw nothing, Midge-goon!” 

Midge continued to look unimpressed. “Yeah…Dib came to check on you.” 

“I did not!” Dib shouted defensively. 

“Aha! You came to discover what my latest genius plan of conquest is!” Zim exclaimed, turning back to Dib. “I’ll have you know, Dib-worm, that you will never uncover my plot in time. NEVER!” 

“ZIM!” Tak shrieked from outside. She sounded closer now. 

“AHH!” Zim screamed leaping up to cling to Dib. Dib grabbed him out of instinct, attempting to steady himself. It baffled him how Zim could be so strong and yet so light. 

When Dib finally realized that he was holding Zim bridal style, he dropped the Irken flat on the ground. “He’s fine,” Dib said. “Let’s go, Midge.” 

“Wait!” Zim yelled, grabbing onto Dib’s leg.  They could hear Tak pounding at the door. “You can’t just leave me here!” 

“Yeah? Why shouldn’t I?” 

“Because…er,” Zim tapped his chin. “I will destroy you!” 

Dib wiggled his captive leg to no avail. “That’s nothing new! Now let go of me!” 

Then, Dib felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. With a frustrated sigh he pulled it out. He didn’t recognize the number, but figured whoever it was couldn’t be worse than Zim. “Hello?” 

“Dib! Good, Zim did give me the right number! It’s Dek Nazo.” Dib could hear the echo of noises outside. Dek must have been here to stop Tak. “I have sort of a favor to ask. Ah! Tak, stop!” 

Dib tried shaking his leg free once more. “And I should do this for you because..?” 

“Well, I figured since Zim’s your friend you wouldn’t want him dismembered,” Dek replied casually. 

“He’s not my friend!” Dib yelled, stomping his free foot. Why did everyone think that? 

“Ah, guess I was wrong on that account. Ah! Watch it, dammit! But, seriously, could you get him away from his base for a while? I’ll distract Tak. It’ll just be until she calms down.” 

Dib pinched the bridge of his nose. He was no where near in the mood for any of this. “Look, just let her beat him up, alright? He probably deserves it.” 

“What?!” Zim snapped. “Why you no good, filthy pig-weasel!” 

“He can come to my house,” Midge suddenly suggested. Dib turned to her, his expression severe. “Sorry, I could kinda hear him from your phone. It’s not a big deal. Besides, you do owe me a T.V hang out session.” 

“Are you insane?” Dib asked incredulously. 

“I refuse!” Zim yelled. “I will not go anywhere near that yellow vermin’s lair!” 

Midge looked more amused than insulted. “I have snacks,” she said. 

Dib looked down at Zim, who’s grip on his leg had finally gone lax. The Irken actually appeared to be contemplating the offer now. Dib took the opportunity to wiggle his leg away. 

“Midge, this is a bad idea,” Dib told her. 

Midge shrugged. “Look, I don’t care either way, but we need to make this decision now,” she indicated the door. Tak was still pounding on it violently. Dib could hear Dek’s voice on the other side. He sighed, surveying the base for alternate escape routes. The window was a pretty good option. He looked back at Zim, surprised to see that the Irken actually looked rather scared. 

“Fine,” Dib conceded, nodding toward the window. It sounded like Dek had Tak preoccupied at this point. They all filed out the window and made a dash for the car. “Shot gun!”  

Zim stopped outside the car. “Shot gun? This device has a shot gun?” He frowned as Dib got into the passenger seat. “I want the seat with the shot gun!” 

“Sorry, Zim, Dib called it,” Midge told him, revving up the engine.  

“No!” Zim complained. “I want the shot gun!” 

“Get back here, you disgusting wretch,” they heard Tak scream. Dek yelled after her. 

“Zim! Get in the car!” Dib ordered. 

Zim growled but jumped into the back seat as Tak approached. Midge put the car in drive and peeled out quickly. “I only did that because the Tak-creature was after me! Not because you said so, Dib!” Zim told him. 

“I don’t even care,” Dib grumbled. 

Zim kicked the back of his seat. “You better care, Dib. Because soon I will rule this dirt ball! And all your caring will be too little too late!” 

Dib sighed as they turned a corner. Dib looked behind them and saw no sign of Tak. “You can slow down now, you know?” he said to Midge. 

Midge looked kind of sheepish. “Sorry,” she said. “Are things always this exciting with you two?” 

“Um…well…yeah,” Dib admitted. “Sorry you got dragged into this.” He felt Zim kicked the back of his seat again. “Zim!” 

“Do not ignore me, Dib!” Zim demanded. 

Dib growled before turning back to Midge. “What would you say if I told you that Zim’s an alien?” 

“You fiend!” Zim screamed, flailing wildly. “I mean, I am a perfectly normal human worm-baby!” 

Midge shrugged. “Meh, it’s whatever,” she replied. 

Dib stared at her. That was not a reaction he had gotten before. “Whatever? I tell you there’s an alien in your back seat and you say whatever?” 

“Shut your lying trash hole, Dib!” 

“Stranger things have happened to me,” Midge replied as they came to a stop light. 

“Like?” asked Dib. 

“I met Nessie once,” Midge replied. 

“Who’s Nessie?” Zim demanded. 

Dib was shocked. “You…actually met….the Lochness Monster?” 

“The who-what monster?” asked Zim, his head poking between the front seats. 

“Yeah,” Midge replied casually, her gaze fixed to the road. “She’s a fine lady. Has three kids and everything.” 

Dib’s look of disbelief became a full on scowl. “Great,” he grumbled, slouching. “You’re making fun of me.” 

“No, I’m telling the truth,” replied Midge, taking a second to give him a pointed look. “Just because someone says something that’s hard to believe doesn’t mean it’s a lie.” 

Dib’s brow furrowed at those words. He couldn’t help but feel like there was a double meaning there. Then, Midge was smiling and nudging his arm. “Quit pouting, Dib.” 

“Yeah, Dib!” Zim added. “Quit pouting like a petulant smeet, you…smeet-face!” 

Dib turned around in his seat. “What the hell is a smeet?!” 

“You are a smeet!” Zim retorted unhelpfully. 

Midge suddenly had to make a skidded stop, causing Zim to lurch forward and slam his head into the middle console. Dib let a snicker pass his lips. “Cease your laughing, dirt-monkey!” Zim roared as he rubbed his forehead. 

Dib just laughed harder. 

“Zim, could you be a dear and put your seatbelt on?” Midge asked as she used the red light to fiddle with the music choices on her phone. 

“You dare order me you hellish banana of DOOM-,” 

“Zim,” Midge said, turning her head ever so slowly to face the Irken. Her voice was poisonously sweet, and her expression was terrifying. Dib was pretty sure her blue eyes were glowing. “ _Put your fucking seatbelt on_.” 

Zim glared, but it wasn’t his usual ‘I’m-better-than-you-why-should-I-listen-to-you” glare. There was something else there. Something that Dib couldn’t quite interpret. After a very tense moment of staring, Zim sat up in his seat and fastened his seat belt. 

“Much better,” Midge said cheerfully, moving the car forward as the light turned green. 

Zim was still glaring at her. 

As they found themselves on the far side of town, a new song began to play from Midge’s phone through the speakers. Dib frowned as he realized what song it was. 

 ** _You’re so hypnotizing_**  

 ** _Could you be the devil?_**  

 ** _Could you be an angel?_**  

“Why me?” she mumbled under his breath. He turned to Midge. “You have to weirdest taste in music.” 

“I like a lot of things,” Midge replied to Dib, keeping her eyes on the road. She slapped Dib’s hand as he reached for her phone. “You’re not changing this one.” 

“Wait, I know this song!” Zim declared, sounding exuberant. “I like this one! Who is the filthy human who made this pleasant noise?” 

“Katy Perry,” Midge replied, giggling slightly. Dib wasn’t nearly as amused. 

“Dib-beast! I must find this Katy Perry and force her to be my slave!” Zim shouted, kicking Dib’s chair again. 

“That’s not gonna happen! And quit kicking my chair!” 

“NEVER!” 

Dib noticed Midge turn the volume up a bit. “Yeah, I’ll just jam on my own,” she mumbled. 

Dib glared at Zim again as he felt the Irken kick his seat for about the millionth time. “Can we please just kick him out?” he pleaded. 

“Can’t hear you, Dib,” Midge told him. Dib frowned. The music wasn’t that loud. 

“Midge-,” 

Instead of acknowledging Dib, Midge started singing to the song. “ _You’re from a-whole-_ _nother_ _world. A different dimension. You’ve opened my eyes. And when you go lead me into flight!_ ” 

Dib’s frown deepened. “Midge-,” 

“ _Kiss me! K-k-kiss me! Infect me with your_ _lovin_ _’, fill me with your poison. Take me. T-t-take me._ _Wanna_ _be your victim ready for abduction!_ ” 

“You dare think you can sing better than Zim, Midge-goon?!” Zim challenged. “I will best you with my superior voice of doom!” 

Dib buried his face in his hands as the two most annoying people he had ever met began singing this stupid song very loudly. Neither of their voices were very good, but at least Midge knew the words. 

“Yes! When I rule this plant, the Katy Perry shall be spared, only to entertain for all eternity!” Zim said, his tone full of glee. “She will be my second personal slave!” 

Dib turned and glare at him. “You’re not ruling anything-,” 

“Who’s gonna be the first?” Midge asked humorously, cutting Dib off. 

“Not that it’s any of your business, Midge-goon,” Zim replied, “but I plan on making the Dib my very first slave.” 

Dib really hated how dark and almost suggestive Zim’s tone sounded. He flushed and yelled, “I’m NEVER gonna be your slave!” 

“It’s not that bad of an offer, Dib,” Midge said. She was so obviously trying not to laugh. It annoyed him greatly. “I mean, think about it, the ruler of Earth’s number one slave.” 

“You see, Dib-stink! Even the banana-brain sees Zim’s endless generosity! You should be honored!” 

“Yeah, Dib,” Midge added, grinning mischievously. 

Dib gave her a stern look. “Don’t encourage him. His ego is already the size of Jupiter.” 

“Don’t be stupid, Dib-worm. If I had a waffle the size of Jupiter I would know!” 

Dib gave the Irken a perplexed look. “What does this have to do with waffles?” 

“I don’t know! You’re the one bringing up egos!” 

Dib stared, his frustration finally at its peak. “Those are _Eggos_ , Zim!” 

Midge squealed with laughter. 

 

000000000000000000 

 

They stopped to grab lunch at some place Dib had never been to. It look like some hipster vegan place. Midge ordered for all of them without asking while they were in the drive through. Dib stared at the food before him. It looked edible enough, he just knew there was no meat in it. And he really liked meat. But considering Midge paid for it, he wasn’t going to complain. Also, it was entertaining to watch Zim pick around at it in the back seat before eventually eating his food. 

Huh. So there were some Earth foods the alien could eat… 

They eventually came to Midge’s apartment complex, though the apartments looked more like townhouses. They were tall and thin with two stories and were made of rust-colored brick. On the side of each home was a garage. Dib looked up and notice the dark gray clouds and heard a roll of thunder. Rain started pouring as they entered the garage. 

“Looks like we made it just in time,” Midge said, closing the garage door with a button on her rear view mirror. She exited the car and Dib and Zim followed suit. “Well, here it is. Home sweet home.” 

“What are you talking about, Midge-goon?” Zim asked as they walked toward a door to the left. “I see no candies!” He jumped at a large clap of thunder. Dib snorted. “Don’t you dare mock me, Dib!” 

“Me?” Dib said in mock innocence. “Never.” 

Midge folded her arms looked at them seriously. “If the two of you break anything, you’re paying for it,” she warned them. 

Dib threw a glare Zim’s way, which the Irken eagerly returned, as they entered the house. Dib took a moment to study the interior. They had entered the kitchen, which was small and had the dining room table not three feet from it. Dib could see the living room from where he stood, and a staircase that led to the second floor. 

There were no pictures on the walls. No décor, save for a clock he could see above the fireplace in the living room. Dib frowned at that. Even his house, as detached as his family could be, had at least a few family photos. 

“Your dwelling is puny, Midge-goon!” Zim informed her, already beginning to examine everything without asking. 

“Zim-,” Dib warned, but Midge just waved her hand nonchalantly. 

“It’s fine. I know it’s small,” she said. She clapped her hands excitedly. “So! What’ll it be? Video games? A movie? Should probably stay until the rain stops, huh?” 

Dib eyed her for a moment. “When does your mom get home?” 

“Oh, super late,” Midge replied. “No worries.” 

“What about your dad?” Dib remembered there had been no other cars in the garage, and also that Midge had never mentioned her father. 

“Oh, my dad’s not in the picture,” Midge said casually. 

Dib felt a little guilty about bringing it up. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know.” Midge smiled up at him brightly.  

He found it so odd that someone could be so friendly, especially towards him. He observed the surroundings once more, debating on whether or not to make an excuse so he could investigate a bit. Maybe Midge was harmless, but more than likely there was definitely something off. 

“Midge-goon!” Zim called from the living room. “I demand to know what this device is!” 

Midge came to Zim’s side, Dib following after her. They looked down at what Zim was nudging with his foot. “That is an Xbox,” she told him. There was no irony to her tone. 

Zim looked only more baffled. “What does this…’Xbox’ do?” 

Midge looked at Dib. “Sheltered kid, huh?” 

Dib felt his left eye twitch. She had seen Zim without his disguise, for Pete’s sake! Oh well, it wasn’t anything new. “Sure.” 

Midge only shrugged in response before turning back to Zim. “You play video games on it.” 

Dib could almost see the gears in Zim’s head turning. It was almost endearing. Out of reflex Dib slapped his own hand. 

“Um…why did you just slap yourself?” Midge asked, sounding quite concerned. 

“Er…mosquito,” Dib told her. He looked over at Zim. “You know that thing my sister’s always playing? It’s kinda like that.” 

Zim looked a little less confused, but still said nothing in reply. “We could play something if you want,” Midge suggested. 

When Zim still didn’t respond, Dib sighed. He knew how to get Zim to speak. “Yeah, so I can kick his ass at Call of Duty? Yeah, right.” 

The glare Dib received was instantly lethal and exactly what he had intended. “We shall see who bests who at your inferior human games, you big-headed weenie!” 

Dib glared back. Now he _was_ ready to kick the Irken’s ass. “Bring it, Space Boy.” 

 

000000000000000000 

 

“Wow…” Midge said, her controller sitting slack in her hands. “I have never seen anyone get so many kills in a row before.” 

Dib was staring as well. The thunderstorm had been going strong for a while now, loud rain pelting on Midge’s windows. Zim seemed to have forgotten all about it, laughing evilly as he gunned down yet another NPC. 

“These idiots dare call themselves soldiers?!” he declared. “They wouldn’t last one minute against a Vortian youngling!” 

Dib eyed him. “You do know they’re not really people, right?” 

“SILENCE!” 

Dib sighed, but continued to watch Zim play. The Irken’s face was twisted in pure concentration. For the first time, Dib could actually believe that Zim had been trained since birth to seek and destroy. He was so used to him being so…chaotic. Seeing him actually appear calculating over a _game_ was fascinating. 

“You just slapped yourself again,” Midge pointed out as Dib rubbed his stinging arm. 

“Shut up,” he told her, his golden eyes narrowed. 

“Dib-stink you shouldn’t hurt yourself,” Zim said lightly. “I hurt you enough for the both of us.” 

Dib face-palmed. “I’m almost tempted to just walk home.” Almost being the key word. Midge’s place was quite a ways from his own, and the storm showed no signs of letting up.  

Suddenly, a loud gurgle filled the room. Dib felt his cheeks color in embarrassment as both Midge and Zim stared at him. 

“Dib-worm?” Zim asked, looking sincerely confused as he reached over and poked Dib’s belly. “What was that? Did some filthy, inferior species lay eggs in your stomach?” His expression became furious as he grabbed Dib by his shirt. “Tell me who did this, Dib! They will pay dearly for tampering with Zim’s property!” 

“I am NOT your property,” Dib informed him. He pulled free of the Irken’s grip and glanced up at the clock on the wall. Was it really already that late? “No wonder I’m hungry.” 

Midge looked up as well. “Hm. I can make food, if you want. I’m used to making dinner.” 

Dib was suddenly reminded of Midge’s choice for lunch, and was unable to help it when he cringed. “Will it be more vegan stuff?” 

Midge gave him a slight frown. “For your information, I have several food allergies.” 

Dib couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish. “Oh.” He shifted in his seat. Midge was stilling looking at him expectantly. “Are you sure you wanna cook? It’d probably be easier just to take us home.” 

“I hate driving in the rain,” Midge replied, getting up from the couch and setting her controller down. She made her way to the kitchen, and Dib peered over to see her rummaging through her fridge and cabinets. “I have the stuff to make spicy coconut curry.” 

“I refuse to touch your planet’s disgusting excuses for sustenance!” Zim cried. 

Midge rose a brow. “You ate what I bought you for lunch,” she pointed out. 

“LIES!” 

Dib rolled his eyes. Leave it to Zim to deny something like that, even with two witnesses standing there. 

However, Dib had to admit that lunch hadn’t been bad – just not necessarily his favorite thing – and he wasn’t one to turn down free, home cooked food.  

“Sure. Why not?” Dib told her. 

Midge beamed. 

 

000000000000000000 

 

Midge cooked while Zim and Dib switched gears to play some Left 4 Dead. They mostly argued over weapons and insulted each other, but managed to actually cooperate rather well. Dib wasn’t too surprised by this. Pretty much any time he and Zim worked together it wasn’t much different. 

By the time the curry was ready Midge’s apartment smelled amazing. She beckoned the boys to her small dining room table, where Zim and Dib sat on opposite ends. Dib, who was pretty famished at this point, wasted no time digging in. The curry wasn’t bad, maybe a bit spicier than what he was used to but he could handle it. He just wished it had some chicken in it or something. 

Dib’s brow furrowed. He remembered Midge saying something about food allergies. He also knew pretty well all the things Zim couldn’t eat, yet he had eaten the food from the vegan place with no problem. He spared the Irken a glance. His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed that Zim was not only eating the curry, but there was no flinching, no hacking, and no weird skin reactions. 

“Well, well, looks like someone’s enjoying their dinner,” Midge said, giving Zim a sly grin. 

Zim looked up mid-slurp and scowled. “It’s not _terrible_.” 

“Uh huh.” 

Dib decided he might as well try to ask. “Hey, Midge? What kind of food allergies do you have?” 

Midge tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Oh, dairy, eggs, gluten. I also buy everything organic just to be on the safe side.” 

Dib considered this information. He didn’t know about gluten, but he knew basically any food that came from an animal made Zim sick. Then, something Midge said caught his attention. “You buy the groceries?” 

Midge shrugged. “My mom’s always working. I pretty much just use her credit card.” She looked back over at Zim, smiling when she found that he was almost done with his food. “You sure are being quiet, Zim.” 

Dib snorted. “For a change.” 

Zim glared at the two of them. “Foolish worm! I’m merely being silent because I am plotting your demise! It has nothing to do with this magical curry!” 

Midge gave a small giggle. “Sure.” 

Dib watched Zim, taking his focus away from getting more information out of Midge for the time being. It was very amusing how the Irken pretended not to like the curry. It was…kind of cute. “AH!” Dib cried as hot curry splashed across his face and shirt. Apparently his subconscious had hated that thought so much that he’d accidentally slapped his spoon, sending the liquid flying out. 

“You okay?” Midge asked. 

“Yeah,” Dib said, pulling his soaked collar from his neck. “Where’s your bathroom?” 

“Upstairs. First door on the right.” 

Dib nodded and rose from his seat, making his way to the stairs. He took another glance around at the small apartment. It really was tiny. He remembered Midge saying her mother was a surgeon. Surely they could afford better than this? Then again, that and Midge’s old car with the faded paint could be easily explained. Different people valued different things, after all. And if the car had been purchased by Midge, herself, he could totally respect that. 

However, what bothered him more was the condition of the apartment. Not only were the walls bare, but the place was ridiculously clean. He understood that some people were far neater than him, but this was…unnatural. He couldn’t spot one speck of dust or one smudge of grime anywhere. Not even when he entered the bathroom. Everything looked completely pristine. Maybe it was because Midge and her mother had just moved?  

Dib pondered for a bit as he cleaned himself up, debating on whether or not he should investigate further. A small part of him told him that that would be a terrible violation of Midge’s privacy, but he easily ignored that. He’d been sneaking in and out of Zim’s base to plant cameras for almost seven years now. Privacy was the lowest on his priority list.  

The bottom line was, Midge was weird. She’d popped up out of no where and seemed to make it her mission to become Dib’s friend. Maybe a few years earlier he would have been more appreciative, but after years of being mocked and teased and even used for his intelligence, he wasn’t buying it. And he couldn’t rest until he got to the bottom of this, whether anything paranormal was involved or not. 

As he exited the bathroom, he listened out for any sign that Midge would come for him. All he heard was Midge and Zim talking, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Assured that he was safe, he crept to the nearest bedroom and began his search.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I'd go ahead and get this out since it's Earth Day. So happy Earth Day! 
> 
> Song lyrics used in this chapter are from The Monster by Eminem ft. Rihanna. 
> 
> So we get to hear from Zim in this chapter. Zim is super fun to write, but somehow this story ended up heavy on the Dib. Which is fine. I love them both equally.

Zim watched as Dib went up the stairs, setting his spoon back in his bowl. His eyes narrowed at the boy’s stupid, giant head. He sincerely hoped the Earth-monkey wasn’t falling for any of this. It would mean that Zim had given him too much credit over the years. 

Zim’s gaze moved to Midge, who was busy eating her own bowl of food. Zim would admit, the girl was smart. She figured out what Earth foods were poisonous and managed to avoid them, yet still pulled off fitting in. At first, Zim had been worried that the girl would put something in their food, sedatives or what not. But once he had seen that she’d made one whole batch and eaten it herself, he was sure they were safe. Where Zim had his PAK to filter out poisons, Dib didn’t have anything like that, and the idiot dove face first when food was involved. Ugh. Stupid dirt-child. 

Zim continued to glare at Midge, not caring if the yellow goon-girl noticed or not. He _knew_ she couldn’t be human. He had _seen_ her eyes glow that bright, neon blue. It wasn’t a trick of the light. There were only so many species that had eyes that glowed when angered. 

“It’s rude to stare,” Midge said, looking up to meet Zim’s gaze. He set his jaw in irritation. It bugged him so much that she wasn’t afraid of him. There was only one being in this entire universe allowed to not be afraid of him. 

“It’s rude to lie to someone you wish to be ‘friends’ with,” Zim countered, using air quotes dramatically. He had already disliked the girl’s interest in Dib, and after seeing her eyes glow, he was done playing games. 

Midge rose a brow. Zim could give her a small amount of credit. She was a moderately good actress. “What are you talking about?” 

“You really think you have us fooled?” Zim asked, keeping his tone low and threatening. “I know I saw your eyes glow earlier, and I would bet monies that Dib did as well.” He leaned back in his seat. “I’ll warn you. He has quite the habit for snooping around.” 

Midge stared at him for a moment, her expression completely blank. Zim clenched his hands into fists and growled. Just as he was considering simply destroying the horrible wench where she stood, Midge pushed away her empty bowl as she spoke again. 

“He won’t find anything,” she said. 

“Aha! So you admit it!” Zim declared victoriously. 

“I didn’t admit anything,” Midge replied, leaning back in her own chair and crossing her legs. Her air had changed suddenly. Zim didn’t feel like he was talking to some child anymore. “I simply said he won’t find anything. Which he won’t.” She folded her arms and gave Zim a small smirk. “I’m a perfectly normal, human, teenage girl.” 

“You are _not_ human,” Zim hissed. He was also certain that she wasn’t a teenager, either. 

“If you're talking about my glowing eyes,” Midge said, her voice ridiculously casual, “I have a serious eye condition that causes certain lights to make my eyes glow. My mother, the surgeon, buries herself in research to find a way to fix it.” 

“Dib will find out, you pathetic, _disgusting_ , witch,” Zim told her confidently. Dib wasn’t stupid. He figured out Zim wasn’t human, after all. 

“Because _you’re_ going to tell him?” Midge asked, sounding amused. She adjusted her seating, laying an arm on the back of her chair. Her smirk was infuriating, but Zim took a moment to observe her posture. Authoritative, self-assured, and - if he were any other species – slightly seductive. He made a mental note to keep those traits in mind. He would have to do some research back at the base to fully figure out exactly what Midge was. But until then... 

“What do you want with Dib?” he demanded in a harsh whisper. 

Midge just giggled. “Geez, you are not subtle at all.” 

“And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?” Zim snarled. 

Her giggle became a full on laugh, going on for a good minute. If it weren’t the fact that Zim wanted to prove that she was lying sack of filth, he would have annihilated her already. “Tell me, Zim,” Midge said as she set her elbow on the table, her cheek resting in her palm. “When are you going to tell Dib that he’s been part of an Irken courtship ritual?” 

Zim jumped to his feet, anger coursing through him. His face felt hot. “You know _nothing_ , Midge-shrimp!” 

“Really?” Midge asked, reaching to fiddle with the triangular charm she wore on a chain around her neck. “I’m pretty sure I know all about Irken courtship rituals.” 

Zim eyed the item, his eyes drawn to the shine on the colored metal. It was green and black, with a small glass sphere in the middle. A bit of dark purple liquid moved about inside. His eyes widened. It couldn’t be… 

“Where did you get that?!” he demanded. 

Midge’s smirked melted into a smile as she looked at the charm fondly. “It was given to me,” she answered. “By my mate.” 

Zim didn’t believe that for a moment.“Mating is forbidden by the Empire. Especially with outside races.” he growled. Not to mention that the blood in the sphere was completely the wrong color.

Midge grinned. “Well, when you’re born outside the Irken Empire it doesn’t really matter.” 

Zim scowled at those words. Now she was just talking nonsense. “There are no Irkens born outside the Empire.” 

“My mate was,” Midge told him firmly. 

Zim continued to stare between her and the trinket in her fingers. He had heard of Oroks only once: when he was taught how forbidden they were. Back in ancient times Tallers would make them out of their weapons, adding their blood to the sphere in the center, and give them to Smallers to seal their bond. Once the Brains were installed and cloning began, Irk saw such a thing as unnecessary and inefficient. Not to mention, such a bond was said to be unbreakable. Once an Irken found their mate, no one else came before. Not even the Empire. 

So, of course, Zim found it hard to believe that this girl was bonded to an Irken, let alone one that was ‘born outside the Empire.’ It made no sense. Not to mention, he already didn’t trust Midge as far as he could throw her. 

He was interrupted from his fantasy of throwing Midge off a giant building into a burning lava pit when she spoke again. “Look, obviously we got off on the wrong foot. I know neither of you trust me right now, and that’s fine. I’m not exactly acting very trustworthy. But, if you can believe one thing, it’s that I have no interest in hurting Dib. Nor a, um, romantic interest.” She twirled her Orok in her fingers. “I’m happily taken, and I’ve learned that Irkens are _very_ much the jealous type.” 

The insinuation was not lost on Zim. He stomped his foot impatiently. “You tell me why you’re here on my planet RIGHT NOW or I’ll-,” 

“Dib?” Midge called up the stairs, interrupting Zim’s tirade. “Everything okay up there?” 

There was a bit of a pause before Dib answered. “Yeah, I’m on my way back down.” 

Zim sincerely wished that looks could kill. Midge would be a decomposing corpse on the floor. 

 

000000000000000000000 

 

Nothing. Dib had found absolutely nothing. All he had discovered was that Midge organized to the point of color coordination and, from her posters, that she like _Doctor Who_ and _The_ _X-Files_. He rattled his brain. There had to be a way to gain more information. He could easily hack around, but he also wondered if it would be best to just stick close. The girl hadn’t shown any signs of being dangerous, yet, but Tak hadn’t either at first. 

When Dib entered the first floor, he found Midge turned around in her chair, looking at him with a small smile. Zim was on his feet, glaring daggers at Midge. Dib took note of that. While it was true that Zim hated everyone in general, there was something about the way he looked at Midge right now. Something he couldn’t quite place. 

Then, Zim’s eyes left Midge and looked up at him. “What are you staring at, Dib-filth?!” 

Dib glared. “Your stupid face.” 

Zim leapt up on the table, growling violently. “I’ll show you stupid, you disgusting termite! I’ll tear your stupid arms off!” 

“Could we not have a blood bath in my house?” Midge said, rising from her seat and cleaning up their dishes. “Everything okay, dude?” she asked Dib. 

“Oh, yeah,” Dib replied easily. “Sorry, just took a while to get the stuff out of my shirt.” 

Midge tilted her head slightly, before giving a short nod. She then peered out the nearest window. “Looks like the rain’s stopped. I can take you guys home, if you want.” 

“Yes! Finally!” Zim yelled victoriously. “I must return to my base and make sure that horrible Tak hasn’t messed anything up.” 

Dib smirked, pulling out his phone. “Should probably make sure Tak isn’t around to kill you, huh?” 

“Don’t mock me, Dib-stink! I can take Tak on with one hand behind my back and my eyes closed.” 

“Yeah. You totally seemed confident about that earlier.” 

“So is Tak the crazy girl with the stilts?” Midge asked casually. 

“They are not stilts, Midge-shrimp!” Zim roared. 

“Zim-,” 

“What, you vile goon!” Zim yelled, pointing at Midge. 

Midge looked completely unfazed. “Get off my table.” 

“NEVER!” 

Dib sighed roughly, striding over and grabbing Zim by the back of his Invader uniform. He picked him up easily and plopped him on the floor. “Get off her table, you jerk.” 

Zim merely growled and brushed Dib off. “Has that idiot Relocator contacted you yet? I want to get out of this trash heap as soon as possible!” 

Midge rolled her eyes before looking at Dib expectantly. Dib looked at his phone and began checking his messages. There was a recent one from Dek, stating that Tak had been successfully subdued with a sedation dart. Dib sort of hoped that Dek was smart enough not to be there when she woke up. 

“Coast is clear,” Dib reported, putting his phone away. 

“Good! Take me back to my dwelling, Midge-goon!”  

Midge shook her head. “Yes, your highness,” she drawled. 

Zim smirked. “Hm. I’ll give you one thing, Midge-shrimp. You at least show me the respect I deserve.” He glared over at Dib. 

“It’s _sarcasm_ , Zim,” Dib told him in irritation. “Look it up when you get home!” 

“See?!” Zim complained  “You have no respect for your future overlord!” 

Midge snorted. “Gotta respect the future overlord, Dib.” 

 Dib slumped. “I hate you both.” 

 

00000000000000000000000 

 

“You are a lying sack of celery, banana-brain! There is no shot gun here!” Zim told Midge as they made their way home. It was barely twilight, now, with the sky splashed with pinks and purples and the first stars peeking out. As Zim’s house was the first on the way, they would be dropping him off first. It was mildly uncomfortable in the back seat of Midge’s Camry, since Dib was so tall and lanky. But on the bright side, he didn’t have to deal with Zim screaming right in his ear. 

“Sorry about that, Zim,” Midge replied sweetly. “Next time I’ll make sure you have the proper weaponry to smite your enemies.” 

Dib frowned at her. “You can’t keep saying things like that, Midge. He doesn’t understand-,” 

“I understand perfectly, Dib-stink!” Zim retorted, turning in his chair slightly. “I understand that at least one person on this planet understands that resistance is futile. Futile like a baby human worm!” 

“That’s _fetal_ , Zim,” Dib told him. 

“You are fetal!” Zim remarked. “Perhaps I will make you my third personal slave when I conquer this dirt-ball, Midge-small.” His eyes narrowed slightly, almost challengingly. “I do hope your _ever_ obedient attitude isn’t something easily swayed.” Dib’s brows furrowed in confusion, wondering if Zim was trying to imply something. Immediately, he pushed it down. Zim was weird, and often times said and did things that made little to no sense. 

 Unless he was suspicious of Midge, too… 

Dib shook it off, recalling that Zim was talking about conquering his home planet and enslaving people. So, of course, he had to set the record straight. “That's not gonna happen, Space Boy.” 

Zim glowered at him. “Try and stop me, Dib! It will all be for naught! One day! One glorious, sunny, and completely free from rain day I will stand above the ashes of this disgusting excuse for a planet, ruler of all! Victory for ZIM! HAHAHAHA!” He shifted in his seat again so he could get into Dib’s face, his eyes intense even with his contacts on. “And you _will_ kneel, Dib.” 

Dib dug his hands into the upholstery of his seat. That heated glare should _not_ have sent a thrill through his body like it did. Once again, Dib blamed his repressed teenage hormones and lack of social interaction for why Zim could get him so flustered. 

“I would love to see you try,” Dib growled in agitation. 

“Boys,” Midge said, interrupting their tense staring contest, “at least wait until you’re out of my car if you’re gonna make out.” 

Dib felt his face heat up. Why would she say something like that?! “Shut up, Midge!” he roared. 

“Don’t be disgusting, Midge-goon!” Zim shouted. He actually looked rather furious. “I would never make out with the Dib! Or any gross human!” 

Dib rose a brow. “You actually know what ‘make out’ means?” 

“ZIM SAID NOTHING I WILL KILL YOU BOTH WITH TOOTHPICKS!” 

Dib simply sighed roughly. He could not wait to get out of this car. He was still frustrated that he hadn’t found anything at Midge’s house to implicate her as anything other than an overly friendly, if very strange, teenage girl, and now both she and Zim were grating on his nerves. As if, for once, the cosmos decided to grant him a reprieve, the car came to a stop. He unfastened his seat belt and got out of the car. 

“I’m gonna walk the rest of the way,” he told Midge as Zim exited the vehicle as well. The distance wasn’t far. He’d done the journey on foot numerous times. 

Midge’s expression clearly showed how much she disliked that idea. “Seriously?” 

“Seriously,” Dib told her. 

There was a small pause. Midge’s face softened, looking completely apologetic. “Look, if it’s something I said I-,” 

“Don’t apologize,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just…tired. I didn’t get a lot of sleep the past couple nights, and I’ve had to deal with him,” he pointed at Zim, “for several hours now.” 

“No one wants to look at your giant cranium all day, either, Dib!” Zim screamed, poking his chest with one of his claws. 

Dib snapped. “My head is not big, you stupid, green, obnoxious, pest!” 

Zim snarled, grabbing Dib by the lapels of his trench coat. Dib braced himself, ready to deflect whatever attack the Irken dished out. However, Zim made no move to hurt him, merely jerking the taller male down to his level. He could feel Zim’s breath on face. “Zim, what are you-,” 

“Do not trust that girl,” Zim hissed.  

Dib froze at those words, swallowing thickly. “What?”  

“The Midge,” Zim replied. His grip of Dib’s coat was tight, desperate even. “She is not what she seems.” 

Dib’s brow furrowed. He made no move to push Zim away. Dib had already had his misgivings about Midge, and now Zim was saying she couldn’t be trusted. Then again, Dib found it hard to believe that the Irken would say such a thing for his well-being. “And you’re telling me this, why?” he asked. 

Zim scowled. “Believe me or don’t. I don’t care,” he said in irritation. His voice became lower. “Just remember that you are _mine_ to destroy.” 

Why in the world did that send a shiver up Dib’s spine?! 

Dib sobered quickly. “I’m not yours, Zim,” he said flatly as he pulled out of the tight grip. “Look, I get that you don’t like Midge, but you gotta give me more than some vague statement. You know I’m not just gonna trust your word.” Though Dib’s guts told him that something was definitely off about Midge, he knew to never take Zim at face value. There was always some sort of ulterior motive. 

Zim’s expression fell for a moment. He looked frustrated and…hurt? Dib shook his head. He really _was_ tired. 

The Irken pushed him roughly. “Whatever. Like I said, I don’t care.” 

Dib rose a brow as Zim turned on his heel and walked toward his house. That was unexpected. Usually Zim would go on a tirade and demand Dib help him destroy Midge where she stood. Not to mention, he’d had spoken so…seriously and quietly. The whole thing gave Dib anxiety. 

It all faded as he watch Zim strut up to his front door and into his house like he was the best thing since Brooklyn style pizza. Dib rolled his eyes. The alien was incorrigible. 

However, Dib couldn’t deny that Zim’s statement had made him more suspicious. The last time a situation like this had occurred had been when Tak first came to Earth. Zim had tried to warn him then, too, and he had been right. Dib spared a glance at Midge. The girl still hadn’t driven off, her gaze fixed on Zim’s base. Her expression was almost…calculating. Where before, Dib hadn’t been suspecting Midge as anything really dangerous, now he wasn’t so sure. 

A small part of Dib felt torn. He’d never really had a friend. The only person who ever believed in him and respected him was constantly trying to take over his planet. He would admit that the idea of he and Midge being friends would be nice, just to finally have someone he could really talk to. But if she couldn’t be trusted… 

Dib began walking toward his house. He needed time to think things over. He needed to figure out how he was going to get more information on just who Midge really was and where she came from. He knew from the beginning that something wasn’t right about some random girl wanting to befriend him, and then became more uneasy when he’d seen the state of her house. Now Zim’s warning was added into the mix. 

A car horn jumped him out of his thoughts. He eyed the perpetrator with irritation. “Go home, Midge.” 

“Get in the car, Dib,” Midge ordered sternly, driving slowly alongside him. 

Dib narrowed his eyes. Not only did he not trust Midge at this point, he was still sort of annoyed at her for teasing him before. “Why should I?” 

Midge glared. “What the hell is your problem?” 

“What is _your_ problem?” Dib demanded. “It makes no sense for you to want to hang out with me! I’m an outcast! Everyone thinks I’m insane! The only person who treats me like I’m an equal is a psychotic megalomaniac from another planet!” 

“Dib-,” 

“What do you _want_ from me?!” 

“I _want_ to be your fucking friend!” Midge screamed. 

Dib stopped, looking back at Midge. Her expression was fierce, her eyes shining slightly. Her words had held so much conviction that they struck his very soul. 

Friend was such a foreign word to him. No one wanted to be his friend. Dib had accepted that a long time ago. Then, Dib had decided that he didn’t need friends. Friends would just slow him down. Friends were liabilities. Friends were stupid. 

He had been so certain before that if anyone offered him friendship outright he would slam it down without hesitation. And, a part of Dib wanted to do that now. The look on Midge’s face appeared so raw and sincere, and he could feel the darker parts of himself, the parts that felt lonely and unappreciated, reaching out for Midge like she was some guiding light. But he couldn’t do that. Dib didn’t need friends, especially ones that couldn’t be trusted. 

However, his best bet was sticking close. He had to find out what Midge was up to, and why she was going to such great lengths to get close to him. 

With his mind made up, Dib walked around and reentered the car. 

Midge gave him a small smile as he shut the door and put his seat belt on. She pulled her phone from her cup holder and fiddled with her music for a moment before choosing a song and setting to phone back in. 

 ** _I’m friends with the monster that’s under my bed_**  

 ** _Get along with the voices inside of my head_**  

 ** _You’re trying to save me stop holding your breath_**  

 ** _And you think I’m crazy,_**  

 ** _Yeah, you think I’m crazy_** ** _…_**  

Dib frowned. “I’m gonna tuck and roll.” 

Midge reached over and turned the volume down. “I happen to like this song, thank you. You shouldn't take it personally.” 

Dib wasn’t convinced. “You played a song about an alien while an alien was in your back seat.” 

Midge shrugged. “I thought it was funny.” 

Dib almost got irritated, but it dissipated as something dawned on him. “Wait…do you actually believe me?” 

“Psh! He’s green and wants to take over the world. He’s either an alien or a mutated Komodo dragon.” 

Dib gaped at her for a bit, very much shocked by her statement. Then he asked, “Why a Komodo dragon?” 

“Duh! Have you _seen_ those things? They’ll obviously be ruling this planet in a few hundred years!” 

Dib ‘s mouth twitched, wanting to smile. He looked at Midge and rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh, you don’t think I’m crazy?” 

“Oh, I think you’re crazy,” Midge told him cheerfully. Dib scowled. “But, whoever said crazy was a bad thing?” 

“Um…everyone,” Dib deadpanned. 

“Everyone’s stupid, Dib,” Midge told him, her tone suddenly serious. “They fear what they don’t understand, so instead they choose to discard it like it’s trash.” She gave him a look of admiration. It took Dib aback. “You’re not like them, therefore they reject you. But there are those that will accept you if you’re willing to look and willing to let them in.” 

Dib felt his face heat up slightly. No one had ever spoken to him like this. He wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. It also made him a little nervous that it sounded like Midge could read that he didn’t completely trust her. Was she a psychic or something? 

However, he had to admit it felt nice to have someone say things like that, whether they were true or not. “So, you’re not concerned with the status quo?” he asked. 

Midge giggled. “The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it.” 

Dib couldn’t help but let himself smile this time. “Did you just quote _Dr._ _Horrible’s_ _Sing-Along Blog_?” 

“You bet your ass,” Midge replied. She smiled devilishly. “Now that’s a movie we should show Zim.” 

At the mention of Zim, Dib stopped smiling. “Absolutely not. It’ll just give him ideas.” 

“Can I at least let him listen to ‘ _On the Rise_?’” she asked, sounding excited. “You know he would love that song.” 

Dib stared at her for a moment. He didn’t understand this girl at all. “Why are you so okay with him?” 

Midge hesitated for moment, looking baffled. “Because he’s your friend, and if I wanna be your friend I should learn to get along with him?” 

“He’s not my friend,” Dib said quickly. 

“Then what are you?” she asked. She appeared genuinely confused. Really, what was there to be confused about? 

“Hello? We’re sworn enemies!” Dib explained in frustration. “He’s an alien trying to take over the world! I’ve been stopping his plans since I was eleven! I wasn’t kidding when I told you he was my arch nemesis!” 

Midge didn’t look the least bit convinced, and that annoyed Dib greatly. “Sworn enemies don’t go check on each other when they’re absent from school,” Midge told him with a frown. 

Dib glared. “He could have been up to something!” It had _not_ been because he was worried about Tak and Dek. 

“Sworn enemies don’t play video games with each other,” she continued. 

“You insisted he come to your house!” Dib pointed out. “Would you rather we destroyed your living room?!” 

Midge looked him squarely in the eye at a stop sign. Dib didn’t like her expression: unimpressed and disappointed. What was she trying to say, anyway? “Sworn enemies would have killed each other by now.” 

“Okay, now, that’s not fair!” Dib yelled. “It’s not like we haven’t tried-,” 

“Have you, really?” Midge asked. “How many opportunities _today_ have you had to kill him? How many in the past week? Month? Year?" 

Dib had half a mind to make good on his threat to tuck and roll. Midge didn’t know him. She didn’t know anything. “It’s not that simple!” he roared. 

“No, it’s not,” Midge responded, remaining calm even with the annoyed edge to her tone. “And that is precisely my point.”  

Dib narrowed his eyes, wanting to say more but not able to find the words. Where did she get off, telling Dib that he and Zim should have killed each other by now?! He could totally kill Zim! He could go over and kill him tonight if he wanted to! 

At once, the thought made him sick. He resisted to urge the punch the dashboard. Who was he kidding? He couldn’t kill Zim, and he knew it. He’d had chance after chance and never went through with it. The very idea of a life without Zim tore at him like a burning knife. It was horrible and unhealthy, but Zim gave him a purpose. A reason not succumb to the dark thoughts that plagued him in his lonely hours. A reason to hold on to what he believed in. A reason to never give up. 

“I’m sorry,” Midge said with a sigh, breaking Dib from his thoughts. “I…I shouldn’t have said any of that.” 

Dib looked back at her. His initial anger had evaporated during his introspection. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he settled for, “It’s…fine.” 

“No, it’s not,” Midge insisted. “It’s none of my business. I won’t bring it up again.” There was a brief pause before Midge spoke again, sounding a bit more chipper. “How about a hypothetical question?” 

Dib rose a brow. “Okay…” 

“If someone told you that you could save the entire universe, but you had to leave Earth to do it, what would you do?” 

Dib balked. It was kind of a random question. “Why are you asking me that?” 

Midge shrugged. “Just making conversation.” 

Dib thought about it for a moment. Protector of Earth had always been his self-appointed title, his sworn duty. But, the universe was vast. There was so much he hadn't seen. So much he wanted to see. However, he wasn’t naïve enough to think that protecting the universe and protecting Earth would necessarily go hand in hand. This was obviously a question about selfish connections verses the greater good. “That’s…a difficult question.” 

Midge nodded. “Yup. The universe is huge, with so many different species and planets. People who don’t have anyone to protect them. But…Earth is home.” 

Dib blinked, his mind buzzing with how casually she spoke about there being life out in space. “How do you know that there’s more life out there?” 

Midge gave him a knowing smile. “Well, I’ve met one alien this week. Who knows what else is out there, right?” 

Dib couldn’t help but smile. He knew he shouldn’t get attached, that very likely Midge was some evil mastermind trying to do…something, but he also liked the idea of having someone to talk to. Someone who seemed to understand, and didn’t just write him off as crazy or try to steer him away in a different direction. Where he figured he could enjoy this while it lasted, even if it ended terribly, he couldn’t help hoping that maybe, just maybe, this was actually real. 

 

000000000000000000000000000 

 

Meanwhile, several light-years away... 

“My Tallests,” Lieutenant Rondo greeted as he entered the room. He placed a fist over his chest, bowed his head and wiggled his antennae. “I have the files you asked for.” 

“Excellent,” Tallest Purple said, as he and his co-ruler took their seats. It was about time, too. The more waiting around they did for people to gather vital information was more time wasted not blowing up their enemies. 

Rondo began setting up the large computer along the wall, placing the first disk into the designated slot. “Since his last attempt to infiltrate our defenses, The Abomination has become Captain of Team Nebula, the Galactic Fleet’s Special Forces Team,” he explained, bringing up the corresponding file. “As opposed to the last time, where he was merely a rookie agent.” 

“Team Nebula,” spat Tallest Red, eyes narrowing at the screen. “The Galactic Alliance’s best little enforcers. Damn bastards think they can run the whole universe.” 

“I know, right,” Purple agreed, munching on a donut. “How were we supposed to know that Meekrob was part of their little group of planets?” 

Red scowled and nodded. He had been perfectly fine with making that pact with the Galactic Alliance several years ago – they could expand their empire as long as they left Galactic planets alone. After all, there were billions of other planets out there. They didn’t need to risk a war with the biggest democracy in the universe. However, he and Purple had been quite unaware that Meekrob had joined those planets when they assigned it to Invader Tenn. Really, the Galactic Alliance could have sent them a memo. 

It didn’t really matter, anyway. The Irken Empire was the strongest force in the universe. They had weapons and technology the Galactic Alliance could only dream of. Also, for some reason, the Galactic Alliance wasn’t using their full forces, instead opting to align Team Nebula with the Resisty. He didn’t know what that was about, but he knew Team Nebula was not to be underestimated, no matter how small their crew was. 

He stopped his musings as Rondo continued. “According to our spy, The Abomination’s current location is planet Earth.” 

“Earth?” Red asked. “Isn’t that where Zim is?” 

“Yes, My Tallest," answered Rondo. “Our spy has informed us that the Abomination has made contact with Zim.” 

The Tallests exchanged looks. “You don’t think-,” 

“No way, Pur,” Red reassured. “Zim’s a walking disaster. Not even Team Nebula would be desperate enough to recruit him.” 

“I don’t know. They did recruit a half-Irken who was barely out of smeet-hood to try and get information on the Control Brains,” Purple pointed out. 

Red considered this. “I suppose that’s true.” 

The Tallests looked back at the screen. This file showed a picture of the very half-Irken in question. Only at first glance, he could fool anyone into thinking he was full blooded, especially if he wore his stupid fake PAK. 

Red took a moment to catch Purple’s gaze. The two of them had always found it easy to read each other, and it was no different now. Though Purple appeared carefree as he nibbled his snack, Red could see the anxiety plainly in those dark violet eyes. He resisted the urge to reach for him. They were not alone, after all. 

“We have an alternative theory, My Tallests,” Rondo said, pulling out the first disk and putting in another one. The picture on this file looked oddly familiar to Red and Purple. They’d seen this creature before. What were they called? Humans? Never the less, they definitely recognized that scythe-shaped black hair and golden eyes. 

Purple squinted an eye. “Isn’t that the big headed human that Zim was always complaining about?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…can you guess what’s going on? I'm sure you can. I'm not good at being sneaky at all. I'm a Gryffindor not a Slytherin.
> 
> I know that’s a weird place to leave it, but I sorta wanted to keep a bit of the mystery. At least for now. 
> 
> These chapters be so long wtf am I even doing even?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dat moment when the plot thickens...like a smidgen.

As the months went on, Dib flip-flopped between being closer friends with Midge and finding her even more untrustworthy. 

On Halloween, Midge dragged Dib out to a carnival with a haunted house. Well, mostly she called him a chicken until he agreed in exasperation. He had to admit, the place had been pretty creepy, but seeing as he had dealt with real specters and demons in the past, he wasn't too fazed. Midge, however, jumped and screamed, clinging to Dib so hard he was sure he'd have a bruise. 

When they had exited the haunted house, Dib wasn't surprised to find Zim waiting outside. There was a bit of a stand off, with lots of insults and yelling before they finally got into a physical fight. The few security guards on duty ended up throwing them out, and Dib found himself at Midge's house a second time while she tended to all his injuries. 

 _"How do you have all this stuff?" Dib asked as Midge applied some liquid stitches to a particularly bad cut. The package didn't look like something over the counter, and Midge was handling the whole thing with such a strange professional air._  

 _"Oh, you know," she said with a shrug. "My mom_ is _a surgeon."_  

When Dib's eighteenth birthday rolled around, it had been one of the few where his dad would be present, and insisted on a family outing. Dib had cringed at the idea. He was always torn between enjoying his father acknowledging his existence and really not wanting to deal with the lecture he was sure to get. 

He had found his answer at school that day, when Midge presented him with a birthday gift. It was a Spock Funco Pop and a pen that doubled as a flashlight and laser. He was appreciative if surprised. When he had asked where she'd found the pen (it looked rather advanced) she'd simply twirled her hair and answered, "Internet." 

None the less, Dib ended up inviting her to go with them. His dad _had_ said he could invite a friend (though he had specifically mentioned the foreign boy with the skin condition but no way in hell was Zim getting anywhere near his birthday celebration.) It had turned out to be a great idea, since his dad focused on asking Midge about herself and her interests over pizza before the three teenagers got together and played laser tag. Dib would admit, he had a pretty good time, even with Midge tripping over herself. 

 _"Seriously," Gaz told him_ _once they were home. "You're too paranoid."_  

 _"Come on," Dib insisted. "You gotta think it's weird for someone to want to hang out with_ me _."_  

 _"Yeah," Gaz admitted. "But that's kind of my point. You're a weirdo. She's a weirdo. She likes hanging out with you for some reason. I wouldn't ruin it with your crazy, over-active imagination."_  

 _Dib just rolled his eyes and went up to his room. He was beginning to regret inviting Midge, since now apparently_ _his_ _family liked her. That would only make it more complicated when he finally found out what she was hiding._

 _He stopped dead as he entered his room. Sitting by one of his windows, complete with a dark purple bow, was a telescope. Upon closer inspection, he could tell that it wasn't some run of the mill telescope. It was obviously extremely advanced, and possibly hand made. Dib's brow furrowed. "Gaz? Did you and Dad get me a telescope?"_  

 _"Negative," Gaz called back in a bored tone._  

 _Dib only became more confused. He pulled out his phone and texted Midge the same quest_ _ion. He got an answer after only_ _a few minutes._ ** _[No? Why?]_**  

 **[There's a new telescope in my room. I just found it. It looks super nice.]**  

 ** _[Hmm. And I'm guessing you_** ** _r_** ** _family didn't get it for you?]_**  

 **[Nope.]**  

 ** _[Huh. That is weird. But, hey, new telescope!]_**  

 _It was weird, indeed. Just to be safe, Dib examined it thoroughly. When he found nothing dangerous hidden on or around it he shrugged his shoulders and decided to just get ready for bed. It had been a long day._  

However, is wasn't long after that that Dib discovered that Midge wasn't the clueless weakling he had pegged her as. 

On one of the many occasions where she was going to take him home, Dib had to hunt her down to the back of the school. There he found the girl cornered by Torque and a couple of his goons. Apparently, they finally decided that Midge hanging out with Dib wasn’t a fluke and that she was worth harassing. 

“Come on, you gotta know he’s crazy,” Torque sneered, looming over Midge. Dib remained hidden around the corner for the time being, analyzing the situation before he saw a good chance to interfere. 

Midge, surprisingly, didn’t look the least bit scared. It honestly perplexed Dib how confident and unfazed the girl was. She was so much smaller compared to these guys. 

“Maybe,” Midge told them, folding her arms. “But, you know, I prefer to surround myself with intelligent life.” 

Dib cringed, easily seeing how furious the group of males became. “You calling me stupid?” Torque demanded. 

“Well, I did say I like to surround myself with intelligent life,” Midge repeated. “I would say since I want nothing to do with you, that you don’t exactly fit the bill.” 

"Dammit, Midge," Dib whispered under his breath. Was she trying to egg them on?  

"You little bitch," growled the guy on Torque's right, Shane. "Come on, Torque, can we just skip to the good part?" 

Torque nodded. "Yeah," he replied. He gave Midge a malicious smirk. "Why don't we find a better use for your mouth, huh, blondie?" 

Just as Dib made to step in, he found himself frozen in shock. The three bullies approached Midge all at once and yet, in a flash, they were knocked to the ground. 

"What the-," Torque said, obviously confused. 

Midge was still standing, looking so smug she could have given Zim a run for his money. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you going to do something?" 

Shane got up first, charging forward. He had a knife out. Midge dodged easily. So fast, in fact, that Dib had trouble keeping up. She whirled around, her fist flying out to punch Shane squarely in the jaw. He flew backwards and landed in a heap on the ground. 

Dib's eyes widened. Midge was small, shorter than both Zim and Gaz, not to mention petite in build. How in the hell had she managed to punch out a guy nearly twice her size?! 

Dib didn't have time to go over theories as Torque's other flunky got up, grabbing Midge from behind. Dib made another move to help, but apparently he wasn't needed. Midge threw her foot back easily, hitting the bully's knee cap with a horrible crack. He cried out in pain and Midge managed to get her arms free before elbowing him hard in the gut. She jumped and kicked, sending him into the wall. He slumped just like Shane. 

Torque growled angrily. "Someone oughtta teach you some manners." 

Midge smirked. "Someone oughtta teach you about proper hygiene." 

Dib bit his lip. Torque was easily the biggest one in the group, if not one of the biggest guys in school. However, now Dib was curious, and he wanted to see if Midge really could take him on. He felt the tiniest twinge of guilt over gambling with Midge's well-being, but at the same time, she'd already taken out two guys, right? 

Torque roared as he charged, making to tackle Midge to the ground. Once again, Midge dodged, jumping up and flipping over him. She landed flawlessly as Torque spun around and attempted to hit her. This time, Midge didn't dodge. She blocked the attack with one foot before swinging out the other, hitting Torque right across the face. He turned red with rage as he charged one more time, before Midge did something Dib had only seen in the movies. As she rolled out of the way, she got onto to her hands, supporting her weight, before wrapping her legs around Torque's head. With one quick flip, she brought him down, slamming him into the concrete. He grunted painfully, but made no move to get up. 

Dib continued to stare dumbly as Midge brushed herself off. She casually walked over to the wall and picked up her messenger bag. When she turned around, she looked right at Dib and jumped. 

"Dib! Hey!" She greeted. She sounded almost nervous. 

Dib wasted no time beating around the bush. "How the _hell_ did you do that?" 

Midge looked around at the fallen bullies, as if just seeing them for the first time. She looked back up at Dib and shrugged. "I'm a fourth degree black belt," she replied easily. 

Dib blinked, not sure if he should believe that or not. It shouldn't have mattered if Midge was some prodigy trained by Bruce Lee, himself. She was small, thin and looked like Dib could easily break her in two if he really wanted to. All three of these guys, especially Torque, were giants who had definitely given Dib trouble in the past. She should _not_ have been able to beat them so badly, let alone that easily. 

"Midge-," 

"You ready to go?" She asked, carefully stepping over Shane's unconscious body. She smiled brightly, not appearing bothered by the situation in the least. 

Dib sighed, figuring that meant he wouldn't get any answers from her right now. "Yeah," he grunted. He followed her back around the school to the parking lot, leaving the bullies to sort themselves out. They'd probably be pretty pissed once they got themselves together, but Dib knew they wouldn't try anything. They wouldn't risk their reputations for anyone knowing they got their asses kicked by a girl. Let alone a very small girl who happened to be the crazy kid's only friend. 

Dib had had enough. Midge wasn't normal. And he now had every intention of finding out exactly what she was and what she wanted. 

For once, it seemed the universe was on his side. "Hey, I'm gonna have to bail on our _Buffy_ marathon on Friday," she told him as they drove to Dib's house to drop him off. 

Dib rose a brow. Midge rarely cancelled their plans. The last time she had had been because of her car acting up. Dib still wasn't sure if this had been the truth, but Midge's Camry didn't exactly appear sturdy. "Why?" He asked. 

"My mom has the night off," Midge told him, her gaze focused on the road. "We're gonna go out to dinner and hang out." She turned to look at him. "She's almost always working. You know how that is." 

Dib nodded. He did know how that was. He also knew that this was a perfect opportunity to spy on Midge without her knowing. He'd searched her house numerous times without her knowledge, and each time he came out as empty handed as the first time. Also, Dib still found it very odd that after months of being 'friends', Dib still hadn’t met Midge's mot. 

"Alright," Dib finally said. "We'll reschedule, then?" 

Midge grinned and nodded. "I'll even make extra brownies." 

Dib would never admit that that made his mouth water. He wasn't sure how Midge did it, but she did a very good job at making Dib forget that the food she made was vegan. 

 

0000000000000000 

 

It was a risky plan. He had to be careful about this, lest Midge caught on. On the day of Midge's outing with her mother, he managed to subtly place a microscopic tracker on her, making it look like a friendly shoulder pat. He had programmed it so he could follow it from his phone, so he wouldn't have to bring anything extra with him. 

Midge dropped him off at his house after school as usual. They waved their goodbyes and Dib watched her drive away. Once she was out of sight, Dib made his way up the sidewalk, intent on heading for the garage. 

Upon entering the house, he was greeted with a very annoyed green alien on his couch. "You may be subtle to that stupid, lemon-head, Dib-beast, but as someone who's watched you for years you're as obvious as your giant head." 

Dib groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. His family would never learn. "Not today, Zim," he told the Irken as he walked past. 

Zim ignored him, following him all the way to the garage. "I saw you put that tracker on the Midge. My superior Irken eyes could easily spot it." He growled when Dib didn't acknowledge him. "Are you even listening?" 

"Not really," Dib replied dully. 

Zim stomped his foot. "Listen to your overlord when he speaks to you, Dib-stink!" 

"Look, Zim, unless you have some enlightening information that's going to help me, or even save me to trouble of stalking Midge, I really don't care." 

Zim strode forward and poked Dib harshly in the chest. "You really think I'm going to let you go by yourself? You'll get your giant noggin blasted in two seconds flat!" 

Dib frowned as he hopped into Tak's old ship and started it up. "You are _not_ coming with me." 

"Yes, I am!" Zim insisted, hopping into the ship as well and shoving Dib over. 

Dib shoved back. "No, you're not!" 

"Yes, I am!" 

"No!" 

"I AM COMING WITH YOU, YOU STUPID HUMAN, AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!" 

Dib gave an inarticulate roar, resisting the urge to slam his fists into the console. They were wasting time. "Fine! _Fine!_ But you don't do anything until I tell you to, got it?!" 

Zim scoffed. "Zim will do what he wants." 

Dib rolled his eyes. It was easier to just let Zim tag along this once. Besides, if things did take a turn for the worse, he guessed he could use the back up. He'd seen Midge take out three guys who were far bigger than her. Who knew what else she was capable of? 

Most of the trip was in tense silence, Dib keeping an eye on where Midge's dot was headed. It surprised him to find that she was on the other side of town, far from her neighborhood. It even looked like she might be heading out of the city. 

"Are you trying to get discovered or did you just forget that this ship has a cloaking device?" Zim asked, sounding irritated. 

Dib frowned. In all honesty, he had forgotten, but he wasn't about to admit that. "No one's going to care anyway," he said, eyes focused on the moving dot and the direction the ship was flying. 

Zim glowered. "You're tone disgusts me," he said. "I demand you stop being mopey this instant." 

"I'm not being mopey!" Dib told him hotly. "I'm just..." _Sick of trying to get people to see something that's right in front of their face_ _s_ _, only to watch them bury their heads farther in the sand._  

Zim hummed, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms. The ship was barely big enough for the two of them, and the action caused their shoulders to brush. Dib swallowed thickly, ignoring the warmth that began to spread across his cheeks. 

"I have a question, Dib-worm,” Zim said, keeping his gaze out the window. 

Dib sighed. "What, Zim?" 

Zim shifted in his seat, causing his shoulder to rub against Dib's even more. Dib tried to scoot away but was met with the wall of the ship. Ugh. Why had he thought this was going to be a good idea? He turned to tell Zim to sit still, only to freeze when he met heated lilac eyes. 

"I'm curious," Zim said, one of his eyes squinted. "You've always appeared so frustrated that no one believes you, and then that vile Midge-goon shows up and seems to not just believe you, but...she seems to...like you..." 

For a moment, Dib was taken aback by the words and the sincere tone. He schooled his features, determined not to give anything away. "So? You and I both agree that it's probably all fake." Even after months of telling himself this, it still made his stomach twist in disgust. 

Zim nodded, his gaze falling to the side. Was he...nervous? Since when did Zim get nervous? "I'm just...surprised you wouldn't...embrace such a thing, I suppose." 

Dib stared at him for a moment, unsure of what Zim was trying to accomplish with this conversation. It was obvious that they both hadn't trusted Midge from the start, and Zim had even been far more vocal about it. Why was he bringing this up, now? 

"Maybe a few years ago I would have," Dib replied absently. "But, it would honestly surprise me if we find Midge and it turns out she really was just trying to be my friend." He sighed through his nose. "That would be my luck. The one time someone wants to be my friend and I mess it up by being paranoid." 

When he looked at Zim again, his eyes were narrowed. He had an almost...hurt look to his gaze, but as quickly as Dib saw it, it was gone. The Irken seemed to fold his arms tighter across his chest, as if trying to protect himself from something. "Tch! No one wants to be your friend, crazy Dib!" He scoffed. It didn't sound nearly as biting as it should have. 

Dib's brow furrowed, mind wandering as he pondered what had Zim acting so strangely. He thought back to the night with the holographic zombies. The night Zim had taken hold of his hand and held on when they thought they were done for. His hand tingled at the memory. 

Well, might as well give it a shot. He had the Irken alone in a confined space, after all. 

"Zim?" He said, catching the other's attention. Zim's gaze was quite neutral when he acknowledge Dib. "Why did you grab my hand during that whole zombie thing?" 

All at once, Zim was outraged. "I did not grab your stupid pig hand! I would do no such thing!" 

Dib frowned. "But, you did." 

"I did not you are the liarest liar to ever lie!" Zim shouted.  

Dib almost said something biting but stopped when he took note of the Irken's face. A slight pink tinge had swept across his cheeks. It was almost unnoticeable in the dim light of the ship. 

"Are you...blushing?" Dib asked curiously. 

"No!" Zim yelled defensively. "I am not blushing, you horrible stink-creature! Zim does not blush! You're stupid vision correctors must be broken!" 

Dib just continued to stare. Zim was totally blushing. Dib hadn't even known that Irkens had the capacity _to_ blush. He was just about to press further when a loud screech came from behind them. Dib covered his ear with his hand as the two of them turned around. 

“Masta’!” Gir yelled happily. “I found you!” 

“Gir! I told you to stay at the base!” Zim shouted in irritation. 

“But, Masta’! We is outta chocolate syrup!” 

“How did you even get in here?” Dib asked, more concerned that the clueless robot managed to find his way into his garage and into Tak’s ship without being detected. 

Whatever answer Gir might have given, Zim cut it off. “It doesn’t matter, Gir! You disobeyed a direct order! No tacos for a month!” 

To Dib’s great distress, the robot burst into tears. Dib gave Zim a pointed look. “Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?” 

“Don’t you dare tell me how to handle my robot!” Zim snapped. 

Dib made to argue but the proximity warning for the tracker went off. He turned his attention to the screen, realizing that Midge had stopped moving and that they were approaching her location. According to the GPS, she was at a park nearby. What would she be doing at a park at this time of day? Especially this far out? 

"Let's go find a place to land this thing," Dib said, maneuvering the ship to do just that. They would have to make the rest of the journey on foot. Midge wasn't like the others on this planet. She'd definitely notice the ship. 

Once they landed, Dib took the time to arm himself up, equipping his laser gun. He didn't know what was going to happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He noticed how Zim pulled a much larger gun from his PAK. Dib stared. "What is it with you and giant weapons?"  

Zim looked up at him, his expression conveying how stupid he thought Dib's question was. "Because they're better. Duh!" 

“Yay! We gonna blow stuff up!” Gir squealed. 

“No, Gir! You stay here,” Zim ordered.  

“But I wanna go with you!” Gir insisted. “I be good! I promise! PLEEEEEAAAAAASSSSEEE?” 

Dib pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just let him come.” 

“Are you crazy?! He’ll compromise the whole mission!” Zim remarked. 

Dib sighed. Gir was still dragging out the “please” of his statement. They did not have time for this, and Dib really just wanted to get this over with. “Gir, if you can be super-duper quiet, and I mean you can’t make one sound, I’ll make sure you get the tacos Zim won’t let you have.” 

Immediately, Gir’s face broke in a huge smile and he leapt onto Dib’s head. “You da bestest Mary!” 

Zim glowered. “You have no right to override my authority of my SIR unit!” Zim told Dib, shoving him slightly. 

“Look, he wasn’t letting up,” Dib replied impatiently. “And we don’t have time to sit around. Besides, if he’s with us he can’t do anything to screw stuff up.” 

Zim growled. “Fine!” He looked at Gir. “But, Gir, if you mess this up I’m shipping you to planet Dirt, you hear me?” 

“Loud and clear, my lord,” Gir replied, saluting Zim as his eyes went temporarily red. 

“There’s a planet called Dirt?” Dib asked in disbelief. 

“That is irrelevant!” Zim said dismissively. 

Dib just sighed, deciding for the moment he really didn’t care enough. He checked his phone to make sure Midge hadn't moved from the spot she had been at. She hadn't. "Come on, Space Boy.” 

As they got closer, they crept more quietly. Gir, by some miracle, was as silent as he promised, mostly only humming some pop tune softly. There was a good amount of trees and brush surrounding this park, so hiding was easy enough. They kept their footsteps light as they approached Midge's location, finding her standing in the middle of one of the jogger's paths. She kept constantly checking her watch. Who was she waiting on? 

“Pst! Hey Mary!” Gir whispered, still clinging to his head. “What’s Snowball doin’ here?” 

Dib rose a brow. Snowball? He shook his head. Gir called him _Mary_. He brushed off the comment and whispered softly, "Well, one things for sure, she's definitely not meeting her mom." 

"Tch!" Zim scoffed. "Of course not. Her mother-unit is probably back on planet wondering if she's dead or not." 

Dib rose a brow at that. "What are you talking about?" 

Zim's expression displayed how very annoyed he was. "Have you seriously not figured out that the vile goon is Lazurothian?" 

That made Dib even more confused. "Er...no?" He said, his gaze darting between Zim and Midge. "What's a Lazurothian?" 

Zim gave an exasperated sigh. "'They're inhabitants of the planet Lazuroth. Duh!" 

“They be snow people!” Gir chimed in. 

Dib considered this information. He hadn't exactly pegged Midge to be an alien, but at this point it didn't surprise him. Then, he scowled. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?" He demanded. 

"Oh, yes, because you would totally believe _me_ , your greatest enemy," Zim drawled. Dib was a bit shocked by the use of sarcasm. "I was waiting until I had some evidence. Then I saw her take down the Torque monster and his minions. I had a plan to capture her and force her into a confession but then I saw you had seen it as well." He looked at Dib directly. "Then I saw you put the tracker on her today. Apparently you're not as stupid as I thought." 

Dib narrowed his eyes but said nothing, turning his eyes back to Midge. She hadn't moved, merely looking at her wrist watch every now and again. Then she would look around and tap her foot. Dib wasn't sure how long they would be waiting, so he figured he might as well get what information he could. 

 "So how much do you know about Lazuroth?" He asked Zim. "What do you think she's here for?" The idea of yet another alien trying to conquer his planet made Dib sick. He had enough problems with the Irken beside him constantly trying to take over. However, he also knew if that were the case, Zim would have tried bringing Midge down a long time ago. 

"I am not sure," Zim replied, glaring out at Midge across the way. "Lazurothians are not conquerors. They hardly ever leave the planet, and even those that do are diplomats." 

Dib's brow furrowed. "Is it possible that she just...ran away?" 

"Unlikely," Zim replied moodily. "On Lazuroth, the females live nice, comfortable lives while the males are used for hard labor and, er...reproduction." 

“Babies!” Gir sang out, thankfully somewhat quietly. 

Dib cringed, unable to help the heat in his face. A planet where females ruled and males were kept basically as slaves? Perhaps even sex slaves? He knew of a few girls in his class who would be ecstatic about such a thing. He, however, merely found himself disturbed as a harrowing thought crossed his mind. "You don't think she's...after me for _that_ , do you?" 

Zim noticeably tensed. He looked like he could kill Midge right then and there. "She better not be," he snarled. He glance up, realizing Dib was staring at him. "I mean, according her, she has no interest in you, and further more is already permanently bonded." 

"Permanently bonded?" 

Zim nodded. "The necklace she wears. You have noticed it, yes?" 

Dib spared Midge a glance, catching a glimpse of the triangular charm that dangled from a chain around her neck. “What about it?” 

Zim groaned. “You really do know nothing! It’s called an Orok.” 

Dib rose a brow. “An Orok?” 

“Yes!” Zim answered irritably. “It’s a bonding charm Irken’s use to claim their mates.” 

Now Dib was just confused. “I thought you said she was Lazurothian?” 

“She is!” Zim insisted, sounding frustrated. 

“Then what are you-,” 

“She claims that she’s _bonded_ to an Irken!” Zim hissed. “Which is a LIE because it is IMPOSSIBLE!” 

Dib continued to stare, gaping slightly. “She…told you this?” 

“Yes,” Zim replied. “Along with some dookie about how her motives were pure and good and blah, blah, blah. Lying sack of filth.” 

Curiosity got the better of Dib. He had studied Irkens for years, trying to find advantages to help protect Earth in case Zim ever did actually bring the Armada on their heads. Their culture, including their courting rituals, however, wasn’t something he had ever looked into. It was never important. However, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn about it now. “I wasn’t aware that Irkens had bonded mates.” 

Zim tensed again, his jaw set. He wouldn’t meet Dib’s eyes. “They don’t,” he said. 

“But you just said-,” 

“I said she was lying, didn’t I?” Zim reminded Dib. “Irkens do not bond. Not since the Control Brains were put in place. It is disgusting, stupid and completely forbidden. 

Dib opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find words. He was absolutely baffled. Why would Irk ban bonded mates? Sure, Dib knew that they now reproduced through cloning, but that still didn’t seem like a good excuse. Did they believe that if something wasn’t necessary that automatically made it horrible?  

Then, another thought struck Dib. “Zim, how did you get all this information out of Midge, anyway?” 

Zim’s eyes widened and that forest green color had returned to his face.. “Oh, er, you know. I intimidated her with my great and mighty glare of DOOM!” 

“Dats not true, Masta’!” Gir said. “Yous said that Snowball told you that ‘cause she found out that you-,” 

“Gir shut up or I will incinerate you!” Zim hissed.  

Dib rose a brow at him. “You’re blushing again.” 

“I am not!” Zim argued. “Now shut your corn mouth! Someone’s coming!” 

 Dib took the distraction, looking over to see someone approaching Midge. He towered over the much shorter girl, and it took Dib a minute to recognize the brown hair and green eyes. 

“What is that horrid Relocator doing here?!” Zim snarled under his breath. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is curious, here are the following heights for some of our characters. 
> 
> Dek 6’ 3” (190 cm) 
> 
> Midge 5’ 0” (152 cm. Yeah she's supes short) 
> 
> Zim 5’ 4” ( 163 cm) 
> 
> Dib 6’ 1” (185 cm) 
> 
> Just so you get an idea of where everyone stands (literally!) 
> 
> Also, you know that sad military funeral song? That's Taps

 

Dib's brow furrowed in confusion. What _was_ Dek doing here? And how the hell did he and Midge know each other?

"Took you long enough," Midge said to Dek, walking closer to the taller boy.

Dek shrugged. "I had to make sure Tak wasn't going to go on a rampage while I was gone," he explained.

Midge looked particularly displeased. "I still don't trust that little Irken tart," she said in a low growl. Even after Zim telling him that the girl was an alien, Dib was shocked to find out that she knew Tak and Zim's species without him ever telling her.

"Tart?" Dek said, sounding amused.

"You know what I mean!" Midge said defensively. "I've been suspicious of her from the start. She showed up out of nowhere willing to cooperate for almost nothing, and now she's here to 'help us.'"

"And this has nothing to do with the fact that she's interacting with me?" Dek asked with a wry smile.

Midge's cheeks colored. Dib took note that instead of pink, they became a light purple. He wondered if perhaps she was wearing some sort of (possibly flawed) disguise. "No! It doesn't!"

Dek rolled his eyes. "I totally believe you," he said. "Now, I don't think you asked me to come all the way out here so you could complain about Tak for the millionth time."

Midge made a growling sound that made Dib think of a cat, and this time there was no mistaking the way her eyes glowed neon blue. She closed her eyes and took a breath. When she opened them, the glow was gone. She looked directly into Dek's eyes, having to crane her head. "I want to read them in," she said quietly.

Dek gave her a soft look. "Midge, we talked about this-,"

"This isn't fair to them, Dek!" Midge insisted. "They deserve to know why we're really here! I can't keep lying to Dib like this!"

Dib felt something twist in his chest. Was she actually feeling guilty?

"I told you not to get attached!" Dek told her sternly. "I told you we should have had someone else handle this assignment! But no! You insisted that you had to chase down the kid yourself! Him and his 'destined arch nemesis.'"

"I will not apologize for that!" Midge argued. "Dek, I know they'll listen to us if we just-,"

"What the hell makes you say that?" Dek asked, folding his arms. "Zim is a complete loose cannon and from your reports it sounds like Dib only more or less tolerates you."

"Loose cannon?!" Zim hissed. Dib shoved his hand over his mouth before he could start ranting.

"Because they don't trust me, and I can't blame them!" Midge screamed, stomping her foot. "Dek, please, can we just-," she stopped, her eyes widening in fear. "GET DOWN!" she shrieked, tackling the much taller boy to the ground. Seconds later a gun shot rang through the air, scorching the ground where Dek had once been standing.

"What the hell?" Dib blurted, searching the sky beyond the trees. He yelped when he felt teeth sink into the hand he had on Zim's mouth. "Ow! Zim, you jerk!"

"How DARE you attempt to restrain me, you pathetic, smelly weasel!" Zim roared. He looked up at the sight of flickering lights through the trees. "Hey? Isn't that Tak's ship?"

"What?!" Dib shouted, looking up. Sure enough he could see Tak's ship, along with a second Irken ship he had never seen before. "What the-,"

"Dib?"

Dib turned, catching Midge's gaze. She was being held up by Dek, appearing injured. When Dib looked down he saw that her ankle had been caught in the shot meant for Dek. Dib couldn't help but stare.

Her blood was blue.

"You two mind explaining WHAT IN BLOOP'S NAME IS GOING ON?!" Zim demanded, casting an accusing finger at Midge and Dek.

"Hey lookie!" Gir said excitedly. "It's Tammy!"

 _Tammy?_ Dib thought with confusion. He wondered if that was just what Gir called Tak. He turned his attention back to the ships. "Hey! Give me back my ship!"

" _Your_ ship?" sneered Tak's voice. "This is _my_ ship, you wretched piece of filth!"

"You bitch!" Midge screamed, anger coloring her voice. "What did they promise you?!"

"That is none of your concern, you Lazurothian slug!" Tak retorted.

The second ship hovered closer, and a laser target pointed straight at Dek. "Surrender yourself now, Abomination!" ordered the other Irken.

Dek's expression became defiant. "Kiss my ass."

"Wrong answer," Tak growled.

The ships began firing indiscriminately. Dek scooped Midge up and took off running. Dib figured for now that was probably the best idea, taking off after them. He caught Zim doing the same out of his peripheral. Gir clung to his head, giggling insanely.

"Mary! We need glow sticks for the rave!" he said excitedly.

"Trust me, Gir, that's the last thing we need," Dib yelled.

"Midge, grab my communicator," Dek told the girl in his arms. Midge dug around in his pocket before pulling it out and hitting a button. "Yara! Do you copy?" he hollered.

A female voice answered. "Loud and clear, Captain."

"Get the engines started," he ordered gruffly. "We'll send you our location. We're leaving early."

"Yes, sir!"

Dib narrowed his eyes, watching as Midge began typing away at the communicator. "What the hell is going on?!" he demanded.

"We'll explain later," Dek told him. "If you two don't want to be turned into barbeque you better follow us."

"I'm not following you anywhere!" Dib shouted, barely dodging a stray shot.

"Dib!" Midge yelled. It was strange how vulnerable she looked right now, being so small, and carried by Dek. "Please…please give us a chance to explain!"

Dib scowled, trying to ignore the lurch in his gut at her desperate expression. For now, he had to stay focused. He could hear those ships right behind them. Any moment of hesitation could be seen as an opportunity for Tak and her buddy. Dib then noticed Dek look over his shoulder, his eyes widening.

"GET DOWN!" he shouted, holding Midge close as he jumped out of the way.

"Masta' look out!" Gir cried.

Dib spared a glance behind him, only having time to see the missile hurtling toward Zim. He reacted without thinking, tackling the Irken to the ground. The missile missed them by mere inches.

"Dib-stink! I demand you get off me this instant!" Zim yelled, shoving Dib off.

Dib glared. "Yeah, your welcome, you stupid lizard."

"Mary, yous on fire!" Gir said.

"What – AH!" Something hot licked at Dib's back, and he turned to find that his trench coat was, indeed, on fire from the blast. Quickly, he threw the item off and began stomping out the flames. He sighed in defeat when he realized that it was no use. The coat was ruined.

Gir unhelpfully began whistling _Taps._

"Come on!" Dek yelled, scooping up Midge once more. "It's not much farther!"

Dib huffed, reluctantly leaving his tattered trench coat behind. Zim was at his side, looking disgruntled.

"If they make any wrong moves," Zim told Dib, his voice low and threatening. "I'm going to tear their stupid heads off and use them for lamp shades."

"Can we make Snowball into a lava lamp?" Gir asked hopefully.

Dib cringed. He almost asked "Why is your robot so disturbing," but at the moment he was too busy running. Also he kind of knew the answer, already.

The group came to a clearing beyond the jungle gym of the park. Dek sat Midge on her good foot and let her lean on him as he took something out of his pocket. It looked like a remote of some kind. Dek pressed a button, and what Dib thought was the view ahead began to move, revealing an invisible door as it opened.

"Get in," Dek ordered.

"We're not going anywhere with you, you beluga!" Zim shouted defiantly.

"If you want to live, you will!" Dek argued, pointing to behind them. Dib turned around. The ships were closing in. He caught Zim's gaze, realizing they didn't really have much of a choice at the moment. Dib sighed and darted through the door first, Zim shoving passed him soon after. Dek brought up the rear as the door shut behind them, Midge secure in his arms. She pressed a button on the communicator in her hand.

"Yara! Take off!" she ordered through the device.

"Yes, ma'am!" Yara replied. Dek pushed passed Dib and Zim, heading down the hall. Dib could feel the ship starting to move. He looked at Zim for a moment, before deciding it best to keep Dek and Midge in sight. They followed them to what appeared to be the front of the ship, watching as Dek took a seat in the empty chair at the center. He remembered that the female on the communicator had called Dek "Captain."

Then, Dib's eyes widened as he took in the other people on the ship. In the pilot seat was a female, perhaps even the female Dek and Midge had been talking to. Her skin was silver in color, and long, flesh-like dreadlocks fell from her head. Her eyes appeared white, with sharp looking pupils. Beside her was a huge creature that looked almost like a shark, with big eyes, a large mouth and several rows of teeth. He grunted and flipped a switch here and there, staying alert.

"Get us the hell out of here," Dek ordered to the silver female. He then looked behind him. "Milgor!"

"Yes, Captain?" hissed a slurping sort of voice. Its owner approached, making Dib stare even more. He was very small, even smaller than Midge, with orange, bumpy skin and four eyes. Instead of arms he had a tentacle on each side and four more in place of legs.

"Get Dr. Cuppari to the medical bay-,"

"Not necessary," Midge said dismissively. "Just go get my medical bag."

Milgor looked between the two of them, appearing confused. Dek sighed. "Do as she says." Once Milgor slithered off, Dek frowned at Midge. "Hard headed," he told her.

Midge shrugged. "Forgive me if I want to savor being able to sit in the Captain's lap," she replied lightly.

"Masta', that one looks like a squid!" Gir squealed, jumping onto Zim's shoulder and pointing at Milgor as he left.

Zim opened his mouth to reply but the ship made a sudden jolt, causing Dib to lose his footing and fall backwards. He bumped right into Zim. "Will you watch where you're going, Dib-stink?!" Zim shouted, pushing the human away.

Dib glowered. "That wasn't my fault!"

"Shields up, Krugg," Dek called out to the shark looking alien.

"Already on it," Krugg replied, flipping a couple switches on his right.

Dek nodded. "As soon as we breach the atmosphere you've gotta punch it, Yara."

That got Dib's attention. "Punch it? You have warp drive?!"

"Tch! All ships have warp drive," Midge replied. "Minus standard survey ships."

"Lies, Midge-weasel!" Zim said accusingly. "My superior Voot Cruiser does not have warp drive!"

Midge blinked. "Like I said. Standard survey ships don't have warp drive."

"You LIE!"

"We can't use warp drive!" Dib insisted, suddenly panicking. "That means leaving Earth! I have to get home! Someone might-," he stopped. Who was he kidding? The only person who would really care about his absence was Gaz, and even she would assume for at least a couple days that he was off on some random adventure. He sighed. "Never mind."

"It's either we use warp drive and lose them or we get shot down," Dek explained firmly.

"We gonna do the time warp! YAY!" Gir cheered.

"Foolish worms," Zim said, squinting one eye. "Does your ship not have weapons?"

"It does," Dek explained. "But we can't afford to waste the energy."

"What sort of ancient technology does this vessel use that limits it so?" Zim demanded.

Dek threw an exasperated look at Midge. "Why did you want him, again?"

Midge merely smiled up at him as Milgor returned with her medical bag. She took it with a quick thank you and began working on her ankle. From where Dib was standing, the wound didn't look too deep. It was just bleeding quite a bit.

"Captain," silver-skinned pilot said, "we've successfully breach the atmosphere."

"Good," Dek said. "Get us out of here, Yara."

Yara nodded, her dread-locks bouncing as she did so. She flipped a few switches before clutching onto a green lever to her right. She pressed an orange button on the console above her and said clearly, "All crew members prepare for warp."

"Brace yourself," Dek said over his shoulder to Dib and Zim.

There was a strong jolt, and Dib was thrown off balance. His back hit the nearby wall, and he struggled to get his footing. Zim, however, had no trouble planting his feet. Years of training and being on several ships with warp had given him plenty of experience in this area.

Even with this knowledge, Dib couldn't help but feel envious.

Then, as soon as it began it was over. The ship settled down and Yara switched the lever back to its original position. Dib could see outside the front window, finding a huge blanket of stars. There were no planets in sight.

"Keep us cruising for a bit, Yara," Dek ordered as he rose from the chair. He sat Midge gently on her feet. "You good?" he asked her.

Midge rolled her eyes. "I'll have a limp, but I'll live."

Dek just nodded before turning around and facing Dib and Zim. "You two want answers? Follow me." He exited the bridge, Midge following after. She did have a slight limp to her walk, which Dek compensated for by slowing his pace. Dib narrowed his eyes and stomped after them. He knew Zim wouldn't be too far behind.

"Why don't you two start by telling us who you really are?" Dib demanded. He was tired from running, angry from being fooled and also still very upset at the loss of his trench coat. He really wasn't in the mood for any more games.

Both Midge and Dek stopped and exchanged looks. Midge sighed and turned to them, rolling up the sleeve of her jacket. She pressed a button on her wrist watch, and her disguise fizzled away. Her hair went from blonde to snowy white, though her eyes remained bright blue. Her skin gained a faint shimmer and dark blue speckles outlined her hairline and down the sides of her neck. If it weren't for the fact that her ears came to a sharp point, Dib would say she probably hadn't needed a disguise at all.

"See! Snow people!" Gir pointed out brightly.

Dek appeared more hesitant, but eventually he pressed a button on his own wrist watch. His transformation was a bit more dramatic. Gone was the brown hair, tan skin and green irises. It was replaced with two, slightly kinked antennae, olive-green skin, and too big, bug like eyes in the same shade of emerald green as his disguise's.

Dib found himself silently gaping. Zim was much more vocal on the matter. "You're _Irken_?!"

"Technically," Dek replied, continuing to lead the way down the hall. "I'm half Irken. Now, come on, we have a lot to talk about."

Zim appeared very disturbed. "H-half Irken?! Impossible!" Zim declared. "There is no way you can be half Irken! We are superior clones of superior amazingness!"

Dek simply turned slightly and pointed to his back. His _empty_ back. "As you can see, I don't have a PAK, and I'm not wasting away." He said. "And as you well know, Irkens still have the ability to reproduce the old fashion way-,"

" _Defective_ Irkens, you mean!" Zim shrieked. Dib was a bit taken aback by how horribly he was taking this information.

Dek scowled. "Tell that to Invader Zon."

Zim gaped at the hybrid. "You're LYING!"

"I assure you, I am not," Dek told him calmly.

Dib rose a brow. "Who's Invader Zon?"

"He's only the most famous Invader to ever live!" Zim explained. Dib noticed he was shaking slightly. "He conquered TWELVE planets before mysteriously vanishing!" He glared up at Dek. "There is no way such a revered and respected member of the Irken Elite was a Defect!"

Dek squinted an eye. "Wow. You really don't know anything, do you?" he said, shaking his head. "Whatever. Believe what you want. But I'm not lying. Invader Zon mysteriously vanished because he and my Vortian mother ran away before the Empire could find out she was pregnant." He narrowed his eyes. Zim still looked a mixture of outraged and freaked out. "Look, there's a lot you don't know. Things I learned the last time I was on Irk. But that can wait. We have other stuff to discuss."

Dib and Zim continued to reluctantly follow Midge and Dek. They entered a room that looked like a small meeting area, with an oval shaped table and gray chairs surrounding it. Dek sat in a chair on the far side of the room, Midge sitting in the seat next to him. "Would you mind closing the door?" Dek asked Dib.

Dib did so, continuing to scowl. This entire situation was aggravating. They were now on a ship, lightyears from Earth, with two people who'd been conning them from the start. He directed a pointed glare at Midge as he and Zim sat down. She had the decency to look down at the table.

"You can take your disguise off, you know," Dek told Zim, leaning back in his seat.

Zim hesitated, but he complied with the offer. The contacts were always itchy and the wig irritated his sensitive antennae. He put the items back in his PAK. He gave Dek a murderous look. "What you are saying makes no sense," he complained. "If what you are saying is true, everyone would have known about it!"

Dek rolled his eyes. "You really believe the Empire would come out and say one of their best soldiers was a Defect? Are you really _that_ blind?"

"Dek," Midge said in a warning tone.

Dib frowned at that, not really caring about this talk of Defects or Invaders right now. He had other concerns. "Are you two going to explain yourselves? Because if not I honestly don't give a shit what you have to say."

Dek sighed. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

Dib glared lethally right at Midge. "How about why you pretended to want to be my friend?"

Midge gaped. "I wasn't pretending!"

Dib balled his hands into fists. He had known it hadn't been real. He'd told himself that several times over the past few months. But it didn't make the deceit hurt any less. "You lied to me!" Dib argued. "About everything!"

"Yeah," Midge retorted bitterly, "because telling you I wasn't human right off the bat would have gone so well!"

It was Dib's turn to gape, feeling utterly offended. "You actually think I would have treated you any differently?"

"You told me you immediately tried to capture Zim the first time you met!"

"I was eleven!" Dib shouted. "And he was trying to take over my planet!"

"You were suspicious of me from the beginning, Dib!" Midge roared, her voice cracking and her blue eyes shining slightly. "I highly doubt that if I had said from the start what I was that you would have believed anything I had to say! What would have made me any different?!"

A thick silence followed. Dib couldn't help but ponder those words. He wanted to say that maybe if Midge had been honest from the beginning, that things could have been different. But…he couldn't. Had his dealings with Zim jaded him that much to think every extraterrestrial was instantly the enemy?

However, he wasn't about to admit anything. "Zim was suspicious of you, too! Why aren't you yelling at him?"

"Because his reasons for not trusting me had little to nothing to do with my race," Midge replied easily.

Zim snarled and glared at her. "Shut your trap, you snow-child!"

Dek cleared his throat. "If you three are quite done," he said, sounding irritated, "allow me to shed some light on the situation. First of all, Dek is my real name. Obviously my family name, Nazo, isn't real. It was actually my mother's name, and the name of this ship. Anyways, as you saw back there, the Empire has nicknamed me The Abomination. This is due to the fact that I am half Irken and half Vortian." He then shrugged. "Also, I might have killed about twenty of their soldiers the last time I was on Irk."

Dib let his curiosity get the best of him. "Um…what's a Vortian?"

"It's the primary race from planet Vort," explained Dek. "They used to be an equal ally with Irk, however that has long since ended." He adjusted his seating slightly. "Back on topic. I'm the captain of this crew. We're called Team Nebula, and we're the Special Forces of the Galactic Fleet."

"What's the Galactic Fleet?" Dib asked.

"That's the name the military structure of the Galactic Alliance, the largest planetary democracy in the universe," Midge answered. "The only entity that rivals it is the Irken Empire."

"Several years ago, the Irken Empire and the Galactic Alliance made a pact," Dek continued. "They could continue to expand their empire as long as they left Galactic planets alone." He scowled. "However, almost eight Earth years ago they broke it when they assigned one of their Invaders to planet Meekrob."

"So?" Zim remarked defensively. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Meekrob had just recently joined the Alliance," Midge explained. "So, of course, the Galactic Council was pretty pissed."

"However, our current leader believes that an all out war with the Irken Empire should be avoided if possible," Dek said. "For now, most of our fleet is kept planet-side, and, we, the Special Forces team, have been assigned to help the Resisty."

"The Resisty?"

"An underground rebel group made of several species that the Empire has conquered," answered Dek. "They have the numbers but very little resources. Luckily, Team Nebula is the best of the best, and we have pretty decent resources." He narrowed his eyes at Zim upon hearing him mutter something distasteful.

Dib tapped his finger on the table impatiently. "You're forgetting one important detail," he said. "What does any of this have to do with us?"

Dek smiled a bit. "So glad you asked," he said, pushing some buttons on the small console next to him. A holo-screen appeared in the middle of the table, producing what looked like two different files. The one on the left had two pictures of Zim, one with his disguise and one without. The one on the right had a rather awful yearbook picture of Dib. "The great thing about Team Nebula is that we're allowed to recruit outside the Galactic Alliance."

"Ooooh, preeetttyyy!" Gir sang out.

Dib, on the other hand, was more creeped out than impressed. "What the-,"

"These are the files we have on you," Dek explained. "We've been keeping up with you two for a long time. Especially you, Dib."

Dib balked at that. "Me?!"

"Yes."

"…Why?"

Dek and Midge exchanged looks, both looking perplexed by Dib's confusion. "Let's start off with the fact that you've been able to stand toe to toe with an Irken since you were _eleven years old_ ," Dek said. "Let's add in that you can read and write Irken pretty much fluently. Your hacking skills are rivalled by no one we've ever seen. You can build gadgets from mere scraps. You're IQ is twice that of an average human. And to top it off," he glanced at Midge, who suddenly shifted uncomfortably as her face colored. Her blush was light blue. "Midge tells me that you have a perseverance that's match by very few."

Dib eyed Midge, noticing that she wouldn't raise her eyes from the table. He sort of appreciated that she thought so highly of him. It almost made him feel guilty about being so angry at her. Almost

"So the Dib is less stupid than the other pitiful humans," Zim said, sounding bored. "So what?! What does any of this have to do with Zim?!"

Dek looked at Midge again. She brought her knees up into her chair and wrapped her arms around them, as if trying to hide. "Midge is also responsible for that. She insisted we attempt to recruit you as well."

Dib rose a brow. They'd used the word recruit once already. "Huh?"

"We want to recruit the two of you for Team Nebula," Dek elaborated more clearly. "With you, Dib, we've literally just been waiting for you to reach adult age. And at Midge's insistence-," Midge buried her face in her knees – "we believe Zim could prove to be a valuable ally."

"Well, at least you have good taste," Zim said smugly. "I AM amazing, after all." He looked up, intent on admiring the list of wonderful things Team Nebula had recorded on his file. When he finally got a good look at it, his face fell. "Take that file down," Zim demanded, his tone dark.

Dib's brow furrowed. He hadn't paid too much attention to the files before. He knew it was probably hypocritical, but he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. However, at Zim's strange words, he took a closer look. He gaped as he read Zim's file.

_Name: Zim_

_Race: Irken_

_Age: 212 (Irken years)_

_Rank(s): Former Weapons Developer, Former Invader, Food Service Drone_

_Location: Earth, Sol System (Permanently Exiled from the Irken Empire)_

Dib stopped at that. Exiled? That…couldn't be right. Zim was an Invader! A horrible villain out to destroy his planet! Why did this file say he was a _former_ Invader? And exiled?

His gaze fell back on Zim. He debated on asking if it was true, but the Irken look so furious that Dib was certain that now was not the time.

"Shit," Midge remarked, slapping a hand over her mouth. "You didn't know..."

"There is nothing TO know, you vile, horrid, MONGOOSE!" Zim shouted, rising to his feet. "Your information is obviously WRONG!"

"I can assure you," Dek said, his voice deadly calm, "that our records are completely up to date."

"Take that file down, half-breed," Zim demanded, his PAK legs exposing themselves.

Dib got to his feet. "Zim calm down!"

"It's alright, Dib," said Dek, folding his arms. "Zim knows I have a crew full of people who have been trained specifically to take down Imperial Irkens."

"Masta' you don't gots to fight," Gir pleaded from his spot on the table.

"I'd like to see them try!" Zim challenged.

Dek glared. "Look, you're going to have to accept it at some point! You were banished! The Tallests want you gone! You are going to be stuck on Earth for the rest of your life!"

Dib barely had time to blink before Zim lunged. He leapt and hit Zim halfway, tackling him with all his strength.

"Get off me, human filth!" Zim screamed.

"Zim just stop!" he yelled. "It's not worth it!"

"I'll be the judge of that!"

"STOP IT NOW!" Dek yelled, pounding a fist on the table. "Look, Zim. I understand you're upset, but that is the truth of the matter! Killing me will change nothing, except the fact that the entirety of Team Nebula will be after you!"

Zim stopped struggling, but his face remained contorted in a furious snarl. His PAK legs retracted, and Dib let his grip loosen slightly. Zim pushed him off and gave him a strange look. It almost looked…ashamed?

Zim got to his feet and brushed himself off. He threw one last scathing look at Dek before he marched for the door. Without another word he strode out, the door sliding shut behind him with a harsh finality.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> R.I.P Dib's Trenchcoat... 
> 
> I’ve read a lot of stories and the Irken years to Earth years ratio is always changing. In this story, 10 Irken years equals one Earth year. So, in Earth years, Zim would be around 21.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I sort of give a different outlook on Defects, at least from what I’ve seen. I treat them more like Divergents from the Divergent Series. Sort of, anyway. Like how Divergents are kind of an evolution where they can fit into multiple Factions, Defects sort of evolve beyond the programming of their PAK.
> 
> I also give a different take on the Invader program. I guess you could say this is where the AUish-ness comes into play? Idk. I think we can all agree that Irk's a freaking dystopia.

Midge sat up in her chair, staring at the door with worried eyes. She then shoved Dek so roughly he almost fell out of his seat. “You didn’t have to say all that, Dek!” she scolded.  

“Really? Because I was under the impression that you wanted to recruit him,” Dek replied coolly. “The sooner he accepts his position with Irk, the easier it will be.”  

Dib picked himself up off the floor and returned to his seat. He kept staring at the screen. At Zim’s file. He scanned the Location line over and over. _Permanently exiled_.   

So many questions bombarded his mind. Was this Zim’s first time seeing this information? The shameful look he’d given Dib said no, it wasn’t. So had he known, and just hadn’t wanted Dib to know?  But…then why continue with his plots? Why continue to call Dib out, to challenge and attempt to destroy? If he’d been abandoned…if Zim was all alone…  

Dib shook off the feeling of sympathy. Of course, he knew all about what it was like to be an outcast to your own people. However, he also knew there was nothing to be done about it. Zim’s pride would never let Dib offer him anything.  

Wait, why did Dib care?! That little bug had been trying to kill him for years! And if Zim _had_ known that he had been banished, then that just made it worse! Why constantly start fights and cause chaos if there was absolutely no reason to?!  

Dek cleared his throat, gaining Dib’s attention once more. “So, that’s basically what we’ve been on Earth for,” he explained. “Our goal was to build a rapport with you, maybe observe you a bit more before we made our move. Then, once you graduated, we would read you in.”  

“Graduated?” Dib snapped, angry all over again. “You were going to wait until I graduated to tell me the truth?!”  

“It would have just made it easier," Dek replied as Midge began to stare at the floor. "Now there's all kinds of documents we have to acquire. Also, Team Nebula is a big supporter of education."  

Dib scowled, greatly disliking this answer. However, as annoyed as he was, he wanted as much information as possible.  If these two were willing to go to such great lengths to recruit him and Zim, the least they could do was answer his questions.  

“So why did you want to recruit me?" he asked.  

"Two words," Dek replied. "Control Brains." 

“Control Brains?” Dib had heard Zim mention them as well.  

“They’re the true leaders of the Irken Empire,” Dek said. “Even the Tallests have to answer to them. They were put in place several millennia ago. And honestly, it’s about time they were gotten rid of.” He met Dib’s eyes. “They’re the reason Irkens are such a robotic race. Their orders are directly received through every Irken’s PAK. They forbid basics instincts and emotions. Any Irken that dares defy such a thing, that _can_ defy it,” he glanced at the door, “they are considered Defective.”  

Dib felt like ice water had been poured on him, realizing what Dek was getting at. “Is…is Zim Defective?”  

Midge and Dek exchanged looks, appearing hesitant. “There’s a well-kept secret on Irk,” Dek told him. “One that I managed to uncover when I was there several years ago. Only the Tallests are privy to it. But, when you’re almost as tall as them, it’s not hard to gain access to places that are forbidden to so many others.”  

That only made Dib confused. “What are you talking about?”  

“When an Irken is first programmed with their assignment, they are meant to do that for the rest of their lives,” explained Dek. “If they grow in height, there’s the chance for promotion, but for the most part, if you’re a soldier, you’re a soldier, a scientist is a scientist, and so on and so forth."  

Dib’s brow furrowed. “But Zim became an Invader.”  

“Precisely,” Dek said. “The Invader program was established many years ago, funny enough during a time where Defects were being executed left and right, leading to a phenomenal decrease in the population. Apparently, the Tallest at the time saw this as a problem, and decided to take a different approach. Don’t you think it’s strange, that Irkens aren’t supposed to go against their assignments, yet there’s a program that allows them to do just that?”  

Dib thought about it for a moment. Was Dek saying what he thought he was saying? “The Invader program is to weed out Defects.”  

“Bingo,” Dek replied. “It’s ingenious, really. It identifies Defects and gives them an actual purpose. One that gets them far away from the Empire. On top of that, the tests to become an Invader are brutal. Very few survive. Then when you actually become an Invader and get your assigned planet, your chances of actually succeeding are slim to none. So, on one hand, it’s a good way to get rid of Defects without making much of mess. And, if they just so happen to actually succeed, the Empire gets more territory. And, you know, expendable soldiers are always handy, I suppose.”  

Dib clenched his fists. A program that basically took the Defects out of the equation, sending them away and hoping they would die. Zim had been lured into that, by some promise of fame and glory, no doubt, and yet in the end he had been officially exiled. Because he was different. Because he could defy what he was told by his PAK, by these stupid Control Brains. Because they considered him Defective. Dib couldn’t help but remember something Midge had said a while back.  

 _“They fear what they don’t understand, so instead they choose to discard it like it’s trash.”_   

Apparently, humans weren’t the only ones to do that to their own kind.  

Obviously, since Dek had said that this was a very well hidden secret, Dib figured that Zim didn’t know the Invader program’s true intentions. But, he still wasn’t so sure about Zim’s banishment. He felt himself get antsy. He wanted answers.  

“You have a lot to think about,” Dek said. “Bottom line, Dib, we need you. With the skills you have now, and some training, you could be the very thing Team Nebula needs to turn this to the Resisty’s favor.” He paused. When Dib remained silent he rose from his seat. “We’re gonna cruise here for a while, give you time to sleep on it. Anyone you need to call?”  

Dib was barely listening, still stewing over everything he had just learned. When the question finally processed, the only person he could think of was Gaz. Even then it wasn’t necessary. “No,” he finally answered. “My sister can wait. She won’t worry.”  

Dek nodded, turning to Midge. “If you would show them to their room?”  

Midge gave a nod. “Will do.”  

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked with concern.  

“I’m fine, Dek,” Midge told him. “I’ll treat my ankle properly later. Go call the Director before she starts harassing you.”  

Dek frowned. “What have I told you about ordering me around in front of the recruits?”   

“Goodnight, Captain,” she said in a teasing tone.  

Dek shook his head, a small smile on his face as he left the room. Midge watched him go, before her eyes settled on Dib. Dib tensed, still upset over the fact that this girl had been fooling him from the start. He almost got up to leave when she began to speak.  

“I honestly wasn’t pretending to be your friend,” Midge said carefully. “That part wasn’t a lie.”  

Dib scoffed. “Sure. Whatever.”  

“I tried to ask Dek to let me read you in,” she said defensively. “And just now when you were watching us talk? That wasn’t the first time.”  

Dib glared. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care what you actually want me for. I belong on Earth. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a psychotic alien constantly trying to destroy it.”  

“But he’s not!” Midge argued, slamming a hand on the table. Her eyes widened for a moment before she shook her head. “He’s not part of the Empire anymore!”  

“And you think he’s just going to leap at the chance to fight against his people? Are you stupid?”  

“Masta’ don’t like his people no more,” Gir said suddenly. “They mean to him. He heard the Tall-y ones say he was broken and no good.”  

Dib stared at Gir. He wasn’t exactly sure if he should take the robot seriously. He had a habit of saying farfetched things. But, who else was he going to ask? “Did…Zim know he was banished?”  

Gir nodded sadly. “He was sad for a LOOOONNNGGG time after he found out. He just laid there for DAYS! One time I try to bring him an extra-large Suck Monkey to make him feels better but he just told me to go away. Usually he screams at me.” His eyes became red as he did a recorded version of Zim’s voice. “ ‘Gir! Get that filth out of here!’” His eyes returned to their original cyan color. “But a few days later you showed up and he was happy again!”  

Dib continued to stare, trying to process what Gir was saying. “Why would Zim be happy to see me?”  

“Okay, that’s enough,” Midge said haphazardly, successfully cutting Gir off. She looked at Dib and changed the subject. “Look, my point is we’re not the bad guys here,” Midge told him. “There are bigger things going on. Bigger than Earth. Bigger than this whole galaxy.”  

Dib sighed through his nose. He was very annoyed by the interruption. How else was he going to get information on Zim’s motives? It wasn’t like the Irken would tell him, himself. Dib looked back at the screen with his and Zim’s files. _Permanently exiled._    

“Fine, so Zim’s not really an Invader,” Dib pointed out, folding his arms. “But that means my planet is safe, right? Why should I care about anywhere else?” He’d been protecting Earth since he was eleven years old. It was his home planet, the only home he had. And Midge and Dek wanted him to abandon it for some war that, at this point, didn’t really seem to involve him.  

It didn’t help that he was still extremely ticked at Midge at the moment.  

Midge’s eyes glowed, her face contorted in an awful scowl. “You really think you’re safe? You’re only safe right now because you’re planet is so far away from everything else. Not to mention that Earth has been under Team Nebula's protection for _years_." She shook her head. "But, I'm sure you could guess that even if Irk knew about that, they wouldn't care. The Empire isn’t going to just stop expanding. Not unless we stop it.”  

Dib rose a brow at that. "Years?"  

Midge nodded. "When I was a rookie agent, I actually visited Earth quite often, mostly for relocations."  

“Wait,” Dib asked suddenly. “Alien Relocation is an actual thing?”  

“Yep,” Midge replied. “We discovered Earth several years ago, but given its lack of unity and just…how most of the people are, we thought it best to leave it be for the time being. But, obviously, we keep an eye on it. I told you I met Nessie once. It was one of my first assignments. Though at the time it was her cousin or something we were relocating. But that’s not important.”  

“Nessie’s an alien?!” Dib couldn’t believe it.  

“You’d be surprised how many of the monsters you chase around are actually aliens,” Midge told him. She then reached across the table and pressed a button. Zim's file faded from the screen, and Dib's was zoomed in on. “After Dek's mission to Irk, Team Nebula and the Resisty still weren’t making much head way. The Brains were more complicated to deal with than we thought, and we searched extensively to find the right person for the job.” Her expression became softer as she glanced up at Dib’s file. “We use Earth as a sort of refuge for relocations, since it’s so out of the way, and nothing ever seems to happen there. But, one day, someone sent us this.” She pressed another button, and a video began to play in the corner of the screen. From the angle, it looked like two giant moons just flying around each other, but Dib knew better. His heart jolted, eyes widening in recognition.  

Midge smiled. “A human, piloting the planet Mercury, chasing down an Irken who was doing the same with planet Mars. No one had seen anything like it." She looked back at Dib. "So, Team Nebula starting sending people to keep an eye on you. Anytime you did something, it was a hot topic. Hacking the Massive. That weird Santa incident. 'Did you hear about this?' 'Did you hear what that human did this time?'"  

Dib couldn't help how his face heated up. She made it sound like he had some sort of fan club. He watched as she averted her gaze, light blue dusting her cheeks.  

"I thought you were the coolest thing in the universe," she admitted quietly. "This kid that could do all these amazing things, from a planet no one had ever thought twice about. As soon as Dek told me we were going to recruit you, I begged for it to be me. At the time, we were both officers, and officers don’t do recruiting, but…I was pretty persistent.” Her brows knitted, as she looked down at the table. “Then when I met you...you weren't what I expected."  

Dib scowled at that.  "What did you expect, exactly?"  

Midge shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know," she replied. "But when I saw what you had to deal with, the way you treated me became less of a surprise. The reports we got never spoke about how horrible everyone was to you." She began playing with a stray thread on her jacket. "Dek let me have it that day I let loose on Torque and his little posse. I told him I wasn't the least bit sorry."  

Dib had to admit, he was touched by this. No one had ever been particularly nice to him, or protective of him. He never really felt like he needed it, but it was still nice.  

However, one thing still confused him. “I thought Dek said you wanted Zim.”  

“I wanted both of you,” she replied. “When we first heard of an Irken on Earth we actually panicked for a bit. Earth is Team Nebula’s well kept secret. As soon as we discovered that Zim was an exile, however, we just kept an eye on him. He’s eccentric, even by Defective standards but, he’s definitely got potential.” She bit her lip. “I just thought it was worth a shot, you know? Like…one of you would be great but with both of you…I feel like the Irken Empire wouldn’t know what hit it.” She sighed sadly. “Maybe I’m just crazy.” 

Dib was silent for a while. He really didn’t understand Midge. Had she really thought it would be so easy to recruit him and Zim like that? That they would agree without hesitation? She really was a ridiculous optimist. 

 However, he found himself taking a moment to go over everything he had just learned. Zim wasn’t really an Invader and had been banished to his planet. There was a war going on between two great powers of the universe, and this Team Nebula thought that _he_ was the key to winning it for the Galactic Alliance and the Resisty. It was almost overwhelming.  

"Hey," Midge said, interrupting Dib's thoughts. He looked up, and she met his gaze in an unsteady manner. Her eyes looked watery. "For the record...I _do_ like the Dib I got to know. I'm just sorry that...the Midge you got to know was mostly a lie."  

This was not like the first time he and Midge met, where she had merely looked sad and disappointed. This time her jaw was tense and her mouth quivered. Her hands shook and she sniffled quietly. In all honesty, a part of Dib wanted to be angry at Midge forever. Wanted to walk out of this room and never speak to her again. But another part was giving violent protest to that, reminding him of all the times he had helped her with Calculus. Of the time he'd changed her flat tire for her, or fixed her computer. Of his eighteenth birthday playing laser tag. Of all the movie nights filled with jokes and references he never got to share with anyone else.  

Dib took a deep breath and let it out his nose, before finally asking, "Did you even actually watch _Mysterious Mysteries_?"   

Midge looked up at that and snorted. "Every single episode," she replied. "I binged it while we were on our way to come finally recruit you." She fiddled with her ponytail nervously. "I probably watched the episode with you and Zim like ten times."  

Dib stared. "You're a creep, you know that?"  

"Tch. What does that make you?" Midge asked.  

"I happen to have a legitimate reason for my stalking," Dib countered.  

She snorted. "Touché.” She then rose a brow as she added, "So you admit that it's stalking?"  

Dib frowned. "I'm considering forgiving you. Don't ruin it."  

Midge stared for a moment before breaking into a soft laugh, wiping her face with her sleeve.  Dib let himself laugh with her for a bit. Another short silence followed, before being interrupted by a sudden commotion from outside. The door to the meeting room burst open, and another alien with red skin and black hair stomped into the room, holding a thrashing Irken above the ground with one hand.  

“Masta’!” Gir cheered.  

“Unhand me you foul beast!” Zim demanded of his captor. “Release the amazing ZIM!”  

The other alien ignored him, turning to Midge. “Found this Irken sneaking around the escape pods,” he mentioned. “Orders, Doc?”  

Midge quickly finished wiping her face, trying to regain composure. “Put him down, E.J. He’s with us,” she told him. E.J. obeyed, dropping Zim unceremoniously on the floor. Midge rose from her seat and cleared her throat. “How’s our energy situation?  

“As dismal as ever,” replied E.J glumly. “But you know me. I’ll manage.”  

“And that’s why you’re our Chief Engineer,” Midge told him sincerely.  

“You flatter me,” E.J. replied. He rose a brow, looking concerned. "You alright?"  

"Oh, yeah," Midge replied dismissively. "I'm fine."  

E.J didn't looked convinced, even glancing at Dib for a moment. When he looked back at Midge he gave a short nod. "Alright. Well, I gotta get back. You got this from here?"  

“Of course," said Midge.  

E.J. nodded and left the room. Once he was gone, Midge looked back down at Zim. “You don’t want to use those pods. The farthest you’ll get is Mezarn, and you and I both know that if there is one race that hates Irkens more than the Meekrob it’s the Mezarni.”  

Zim growled, picking himself up and dusting himself off. He narrowed his eyes at Midge, his face twisted into a deep scowl. His ruby eyes flicked over to Dib. “What are you staring at, Dib-stink?!”  

Dib shook his head. He hadn’t realized he had been staring. “Nothing,” he replied with a glare.  

“Your face is nothing!” Zim retorted.  

“Zim,” Midge said, interrupting the argument before it could start. “Don't start.”  

Zim glowered at Midge. “You do not command me, Midge-goon! I am a member of the Irken Elite, and therefore well beyond your meager authority.”  

Midge gave the Irken a fierce look before saying something in a harsh, throaty language Dib had never heard before. He could only guess it was Irken. And, by Zim's displeased look, whatever she said was something Zim didn’t want to hear.  

“You’re accent is abysmal, Midge-weasel,” Zim said, confirming Dib’s theory. “Though it doesn’t surprise me that your feeble Lazurothian mouth could never handle the strong, superior Irken language.”  

Midge shook her head “Whatever,” she said. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving. Wanna go get some grub?”  

“YAY! FOOD!” Gir squealed, leaping onto Zim’s shoulder. Dib didn’t miss the affectionate look the Irken gave the robot.  

“Sure,” Dib replied, feeling pretty hungry himself. Then, he hesitated. “Um…do you guys have food I can actually eat?”  

“Seriously?" Said Midge. "With all the junk your body can sustain you’re worried about _our_ food?”  

“Earth food isn’t that bad,” Dib stated.  

“Lies, Dib-beast!” declared Zim, casting a finger at him. “Your planet’s food is full of poison and death and DOOM!”  

Midge snorted, heading for the door. “Look, if you can handle that _stroganoff_ grossness that the school serves, you’ll be fine with whatever Garrick cooks.”  

Zim shuddered in disgust. “That _stroganoff_.”  

Dib rolled his eyes. He supposed it wasn’t really their fault that their systems couldn’t handle Earth’s mostly chemical filled food. He just hoped that the food here didn’t have the same effect on him. He suddenly felt famished.  

As they walked down the hall, a thought occurred to Dib. “Hey, Midge? How did you know how to fit in on Earth so well?”  

“I did years of research,” Midge replied. “I had to blend in seamlessly enough not to stand out too much, but also show interest in things that interested you. I studied pop culture, current events, but your music really got my attention. It’s so diverse and passionate.”  

Zim folded his arms. “SOME of it is,” he said with disgust. “Most of it is stupid. And LOUD!”  

Dib decided not to point out that Zim was the epitome of stupid and loud, mostly finding it interesting that there was _something_ that Zim liked about Earth.   

 “Wait,” Dib said to Midge, “You did research for _years_?” Midge nodded silently in reply. “Um…how old are you?”  

Midge gave him an amused look. “I just turned sixty-six.”  

“Sixty-six?!” Dib gasped.  

“Time works differently on different planets, Dib,” Midge explained. “It’s kind of relative. I think in Earth years I’m around 22?” She shrugged. “Also, different species mature at different rates. Technically I’m older than Dek but since he’s half Irken he matures way faster.” She jerked her thumb at Zim and winked. “Same goes for this one.”  

“It most certainly does not!” Zim said indignantly. “I am far older than either of you! And far superior!”  

Midge smirked. “I’m pretty sure I’m older than you, too, actually.”  

“You LIE!”  

Dib’s mind was racing, remembering that Zim's age in Irken years was two-hundred and twelve. He wondered how old that was in Earth years. It never occurred to him that Zim was so much older than him, and even with Midge’s assurance that time was relative, that it didn’t make that much of a difference, it still flabbergasted him. He suddenly felt like a baby among these two.  

They arrived in a room that looked very similar to their school cafeteria. Dib noticed how some of the others stared at them, mostly at Zim. It was like some known and vicious criminal had walked in. He didn’t really get it. Yeah, Zim was a psychotic jerk, but _they_ didn’t know that, yet.  

“Why do these inferior worms stare at me so?” Zim demanded as they sat down with their food. He jumped onto the table. “Zim is not here for your entertainment, worms! Feast your eyes on the Dib’s enormous head!”  

Dib grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back down. “Would you stop?!”  

“Unhand me, stink-creature!” Zim yelled, wrenching his arm from Dib’s grasp.  

Dib sighed and turned to Midge. “What is their issue with Zim, anyway?”  

“It’s because he’s an Imperial Irken in an Invader uniform,” Midge replied, not looking at either Dib or Zim. “Still though…” she got up and slammed her hands on the table, making Dib jump. “As you were!” she shouted to the room.  

Everyone immediately stopped staring, going back to eating and talking amongst themselves. Dib looked up at her in disbelief. “How did you…”  

“Perks of being First Officer,” she said smugly. She sat down and continued to eat. “If you want, Zim, there’s a change of clothes in the room we have set up for you.”  

“Zim will wear what he wants!” Zim yelled.  

Dib rose a brow. “Why?”  

“Eh? Why what?”  

“Why would you keep wearing your uniform?” Dib inquired. “I mean, you’ve been exiled and – Gah!” He was cut off when Zim grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him forward. Their foreheads were almost touching and Zim’s gaze was intense and furious. Dib swallowed thickly as he felt his skin prickle and heat up, glaring right back.  

“We will not discuss this, Dib,” Zim told him darkly. “What you saw on that file matters not. I will continue to plot your destruction, regardless of my status with the Irken Empire.”  

Dib felt his glare falter slightly. He remembered Gir’s words from earlier, wanting confirmation. “Did you-?"  

Zim slammed his fist on the table , effectively cutting Dib off. “We’re not discussing this, Dib!”  

The mess hall had grown severely quiet, and Dib could feel several eyes on them once more. Midge yelled out at the room again to call the crowd off.  

Dib finally managed to get his shirt free from Zim’s grip and straightened it out. He glared daggers at the Irken beside him before continuing to eat his food, which looked like some sort of pasta. It actually tasted rather good. “What is this anyway?” he asked.  

Midge gave Zim a severe look. He merely smirked in return. “You don’t want to know,” Midge replied.  

Dib considered not eating anymore of the food, but it tasted really good and he was pretty hungry. For the first time in his life, he decided ignorance was bliss.  

“By the way,” Dib asked, looking around the room. “Where is Dek?”  

Midge laughed. “Eating in his room and talking to our Director. He’s not the most social person.”  

Dib tilted his head. “The rest of the crew seems to like him, though.”  

“The rest of the crew respects him,” corrected Midge. “He’s firm but fair. Plus, he’s made it clear over the years that his loyalties lie with Team Nebula and the Galactic Alliance.”  

“He’s stupid,” Zim muttered.  

Midge seemed to take great offense to that. “Excuse me?”  

Zim’s expression became condescending. “You’re Captain managed to infiltrate the Irken Armada, did he not?”  

Midge frowned. “Yeah, and?”  

“I know that you are so small in stature that you probably can’t tell, but Dek is tall. He’s almost as tall as the Tallests, themselves. He very easily could have done whatever he wanted and lived a nice, cushy life.”  

“And yet he chose to do the right thing instead of taking the easy way out,” Midge pointed out hotly.  

“Is that why you’re here, _Madrigal?”_   Zim asked suddenly.

Dib rose a brow at that, observing how Midge’s eyes began to glow angrily and how Zim wore a vicious smirk. “What’s Madrigal?”  

“Her real name,” explained Zim. “I did a bit of research after I saw her eyes glow. An interesting bit of information came up. About how Princess Madrigal Cuppari of Lazuroth mysteriously vanished after a failed coup d’état.”  

Midge scowled, but she made no denial of Zim’s claims. Dib’s eyes widened. “You’re a _princess_?”  

“I was,” Midge replied. “I’m not anymore.”  

Dib stared, figuring this would be a great time to use Midge’s own words against her. “You can’t just tell me you’re a princess and not give me details.”  

Midge gave him an amused smile. “Maybe some other time,” she told him, looking at her wrist watch. “It’s actually about time I showed you to your room.”  

Dib frowned, disliking this answer. However, he had to admit that he was pretty tired. Also, he sort of hoped that once he got Zim alone, that maybe he would be more willing to talk. It probably wouldn't do any good, Zim being as stubborn as he was. But, it was worth a shot, wasn’t it?  

Then, what Midge had said earlier sank in. Surely he had misheard. “You said rooms, right? As in plural.”  

Midge looked at Dib apprehensively. “Dib, this ship isn’t very big-,”  

“Midge-,”   

“We only have one spare room-,”  

“Midge you can’t do this-,”  

“I'm sorry. It's not my fault," she told him, her expression pleading. "There isn't enough room. Even when Tak was here she had to share a room with one of the other females."  

"What?!" Zim cried, nearly knocking his food off the table with his flailing. "You expect me, the AMAZING Zim, to share a sleeping quarters with this disgusting son of a hamster?!"  

Midge groaned. "Look, if I could fix this, I would. But I can't, okay?" She looked up at Dib directly. "It's one night. There are separate beds. If I could I'd let you take the couch in my room, but Dek was flat out against it."  

Dib sighed roughly, feeling completely aggravated as he ran a hand through his hair. It was official. The cosmos hated him. He spared a glance at Zim, finding the Irken giving Midge a murderous look.  

"The Dib will go no where near your boudoir, Midge-shrimp!” he growled.  

Midge rolled her eyes. "I just said he wasn't."  

Dib blinked, confused for a moment as to why Zim would care about such a thing. He brushed the thought away, allowing his thoughts to linger on everything that had just happened. Midge was an alien – a princess, at that – and a doctor. Dek, the faux Alien Relocator, was an Irken hybrid, and captain of the ship they were on. They belonged to Team Nebula, the Special Forces of the Galactic Fleet, who, along with the Resisty, had a serious bone to pick with the Irken Empire.  

And they wanted him and Zim to join in the fight.  

In all his years, after everything Dib had ever done for the human race, he had never felt special. He'd never had anyone give him any praise or appreciation for the nights he stayed up late watching cameras. For the cuts and bruises he received during fights. For any of his near death experiences. Yet here Midge and Dek appeared. And not only had they kept an eye on everything he had ever done to protect his planet, they saw him as something remarkable. Something valuable.  

And, if Dib really thought about it, the Empire was the real enemy. Cut the head off the snake and all that.  

But Earth was still home. Given, it never really felt like much of a home, with his sister who never understood, his father who refuse to accept what he wanted, the other students who constantly ridiculed and bullied him. But...it was the only home he had. Where else was he supposed to go?  

A tiny voice in his head told him that the choice had been laid right in front of him, an offer to be a part of something bigger than himself. Bigger than Earth. Bigger than the one on one battle between him and Zim.  

Zim.  

He found himself looking at the Irken out of the corner of his eye. What would Zim do if Dib joined Team Nebula? Would he stay on Earth and potentially cause trouble? Would he leave? Or, by some ridiculous odds, would he actually join as well? Dib sighed, steeling his nerves. He needed those answers from Zim. About his mission. His intentions. Everything.  

And he wasn't going to rest until he found out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone wants specifics, Dek in Earth years is about 20. I imagine even an Irken hybrid would mature very quickly, though not as much as a full blooded Irken.
> 
> Also, this chapter was a bitch to edit. I rewrote it like 12 times it feels like. I'm still not sure if I'm happy with it. Next chapter will be better. Promise.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics used are from "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake. Because Gir is a troll and so am I.

“Dib-worm!” Zim snapped, flicking the boy on the nose. Dib yelped in pain. “Get your gigantic head out of the clouds! You’re blocking the mighty Zim’s path!” 

Dib came out of his thoughts, holding his nose and glaring at Zim. “What the hell was that for?!” 

“It’s not my fault you were staring off into nothing like some brainless blob!” Zim argued. 

“You didn’t have to flick my nose!” Dib complained. 

“Don’t be a smeet! You’ve suffered far worse than a flick to the nose! Act like a grown human worm!” 

“Says the one who throws a tantrum over every little thing!” 

“You LIE!” 

“Anyway,” Midge said, slapping both males on their shoulders to get them to stop bickering. “This is your room. Cleansing station is down the hall, third door to the left. There’s a change of clothes in there for both of you.” She took a step back, looking anxious. “Yeah, so if the two of you could _not_ kill each other, that would be great.” 

“Zim will do as he pleases,” Zim remarked. 

Dib set his jaw. “Yeah, I’m not making any promises.” 

Midge stared back and forth between the two of them before sighing and walking off. She muttered something under her breath that Dib couldn’t make out as she rounded the corner. 

There was another few moments of Zim and Dib glaring at each other before Zim pressed the button that opened the door to their room. The door slid open, revealing a small room with two twin size beds that had a small table with drawers beside each one. They both attempted to walk inside at the same time, causing them to crash into each other in the doorway. 

“Out of my way, Dib-stink!” Zim ordered. 

“You get out of my way!” Dib argued, trying to push past the obnoxious Irken. 

“I am your superior! And as such I should enter this room first!" 

“Superior?! Yeah, right! Over my dead body!” 

“Like I can’t arrange that! I’ll squish your giant pumpkin head until your brains ooze out like gross…liquidy…GOOP!” 

“My head’s not big!” Dib shouted. 

“Yes it is! And right now it is in my way. Now MOVE!” 

“Why should I?!” 

“Because I said so! I am your supreme overlord! And I’m older than you! Age before beauty!” 

“You’re not my – wait, what?” Dib stopped shoving, trying to process what Zim had just said. 

“Ha ha!” Zim cheered, entering the room. “Victory for ZIM!” 

Dib didn’t even care at the moment. “Did you just call me pretty?” he asked, feeling very confused. 

“Eh? Don’t be stupid, Dib. Zim would never call you pretty!” 

Dib rolled his eyes as he entered the room, pressing the button on the inside to shut the door. He pulled his laser gun from his back pocket and placed it in the bottom drawer of one of the side tables. He took a deep breath. He finally had the Irken alone, and he wanted his questions answered. 

“Zim,” he said, keeping his voice even. “What happened with your mission?” 

Immediately, the tension rose into the air, spreading like a disease. Dib almost regretted saying anything at all. But he wouldn’t back down. He had to know what was going on inside the idiot Irken’s head. 

The rubber of Zim’s gloves squeak across itself when he clenched his fists. “It is not your concern, Dib-human.” 

Dib strode forward, feeling outraged. “It is my concern! You’ve been trying to conquer my planet for almost seven years! And then I find out that your leaders banished you?” He took another bold step forward, now finding himself at arms length from Zim. “Did you make them mad or something?” 

Zim whirled around to face him, his expression dangerous. Stupid human. Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone? “Mind your own business, Dib! Just know that your puny planet is safe for now. That should be enough.” 

But it wasn’t enough. “No! I want you to tell me how long you’ve known about this! How long you’ve been plotting and fighting me and, for what? For kicks? Were you planning on taking over anyway?” 

It was Zim’s turn to step forward. He had to crane his head slightly to look Dib in the eyes and he hated it. It made him angrier than he already was. For someone who was supposed to be so smart, sometimes Dib was so stupid. “I have no need for your stupid, smelly planet.” 

“Then what is it? Why did you keep fighting me?” 

Zim growled. “Drop it, Dib-stink!” 

“No! Not until you explain yourself! You owe me that!” 

Zim grabbed Dib by the collar of his shirt, yanking him down slightly. “Zim owes you nothing!” 

“Considering you’ve been trying to kill me for no reason, I think you do!” 

“Shut up! We are not talking about this!” 

“Did they banish you because you took too long? Because you failed?” 

“Shut. UP!” 

“Or were you banished from the very beginning and deluded yourself into thinking you could still fix things-,” 

That did it. Zim had had enough. Dib barely saw the strike coming. In a blur the back of Zim’s hand had connected with his face, knocking his glasses slightly askew. Dib took a moment to fix them before all hell broke loose. He tackled Zim to the floor, causing the Irken to wince in discomfort as his PAK hit the thin carpet with a cringe worthy clack. His ruby eyes glared up at Dib before he flipped them in one swift motion. Dib growled in frustration. Even with their height difference, Zim was still stronger than him. 

"Fight, fight, fight!" Gir cheered, bouncing on one of the beds. 

“Why do you constantly have to poke your stupid, human pig-nose where it doesn't belong?!" Zim yelled, pinning Dib's arms on either side of his head. 

Dib struggled against Zim's iron grip. "Why can't you just give me a straight answer?!" 

"Because it doesn't matter!" 

Dib gritted his teeth, using all his strength and his height advantage to roll them over, slamming Zim back to the floor. "It _does_ matter! Dammit, Zim, you've been putting our lives at stake!" 

"Oh, like you're really complaining!" Zim shouted, using his feet to throw Dib off of him. "You enjoy fighting as much as I do! You like being the hero Earth deserves but not the one it needs right now!" 

Dib stared. "How do you even – no, whatever! That's not true! Don't try to turn this around on me!" 

"It's not true? Really, Dib? You and I both know that several of my recent plans have been complete failures! And, yet, you still continue to chase me! Why don’t you tell me why _you_ kept fighting?!" 

"Because -!" Dib began, so sure of his answer. But the words were lost as he remained on the floor, Zim standing to loom over him. Those ruby eyes were burning right through him. "Because..." 

 _Because you're the bad guy._  

 _Because Earth was in danger._  

 _Because I wanted to show the world I was right._  

 _Because I wanted someone to acknowledge me._  

 _Because I needed to proved to myself that I wasn't insane._  

 _Because...it was either that or be alone..._  

Dib felt himself shaking, and he balled his hands into tight fists to try to stop it. He hated how Zim could make him feel completely raw and exposed. He hated how Zim could turn the tide of an argument so easily, making it about Dib and not about Zim being exiled. About why he kept fighting... 

And yet, Dib felt like in his own introspection, that he found Zim's answer as well. 

Zim gave a frustrated growl as he flopped down on one of the beds. "This is exactly why I didn't want you to know! Now you're all squishy and feely and...GOOBLY! I will take no pity from you, Dib-stink! ZIM NEEDS NO PITY!" 

Dib picked himself up off the floor and sat himself on the opposite bed. "I don't pity you, Zim," he said quietly. "I wouldn't do that. Give me some credit." 

Zim's gaze fell to the floor and he let out a small sigh. "Perhaps." 

The silence that followed was deafening. Dib looked over at Gir, who was continuing to bounce beside his master. Zim gave him a slightly amused look. It really was endearing how Zim tried to act like he didn't care about the little robot. 

Dib shook his head. He needed to stay on target. "So...how long have you known?" he asked carefully. 

Zim's eyes flicked back to Dib. He deliberated on how to break this news. The human wasn't going to like it. "Two Earth years." 

Dib's jaw dropped. "Two years?!" 

Zim smirked. "Zim was very good at keeping up the act, no?" 

Dib was in complete shock. How the hell did this little cretin who couldn't keep a secret to save his life keep something like this from him for two years?! "I'm...impressed." 

Zim scowled. "Eh? Why do you say it like that? Zim is always impressive!" 

Dib snorted and rolled his eyes. "You're not exactly good at being subtle, alright? So it's kind of shocking that you were able to keep this under wraps." 

"Your face is shocking!" Zim retorted, very displeased with Dib's opinion of him. "Besides, it was no big deal to fool you. You are smarter than the other humans, but you're still just an inferior human." 

Dib thought about commenting on the fact that Zim had pretty much complimented him, but then thought of a better idea. He smirked as he said, "Psh. You sure didn't think my hand was inferior that night your little zombie plan went awry." 

"Don't be disgusting!" Zim spat. "I wouldn't touch you for all the snacks in the galaxy!" 

"Really?" Dib said. "Then why are you always grabbing me?" 

Zim felt his face heat up. He was going to kill this human, he swore. "I grab you out of anger! And killing intent!" 

"And yet you never do kill me, do you?” As soon as Dib let the words slip, he felt his own blush slash across his face. He suddenly remembered months ago how he and Midge had talked about this very thing. " _Sworn enemies would have killed each other by now_." Well, it was plain after all of this that he and Zim didn't have to be enemies anymore. But, now Dib wondered, how long had they been more rivals than actually arch nemeses? 

"Aw! Masta' and Mary are getting along!" Gir squealed, now jumping on the bed more rambunctiously. 

"Gir! Stop that this instant!" Zim ordered. 

"Come on," Dib said with a smile. "He's not causing that much trouble." 

"Do you want him to poke a hole in this ship and send us into the infinite vacuum of space?! Are your brains made of macaroni?!" 

"VACUUM! WEEE!" Gir screamed. 

"See what I mean?" said Zim. 

Dib gave a quiet laugh, continuing to watch Gir jump and flip around on the bed. Then he stopped, looking at Dib with big, sad eyes. "Hey, Mary?" 

Dib tilted his head, curious as to why the robot's demeanor had changed. "What, Gir?" 

Gir rocked back and forth for a moment before asking, "Are you gonna go bye-bye?" 

Now that shocked Dib. Not only did Gir seem to understand what was going on, but...he seemed sad that Dib might leave. 

"I don't know Gir," Dib replied. It was the truth. He had to admit, the idea of being a part of Team Nebula, of helping take down the Irken Empire, it sounded amazing. But...there was still so much to think about. "I'll know better tomorrow." 

And then Gir began sobbing. "Don't go, Mary! There's no tacos here! Or burritos! Or donuts! And Masta' will get all fat and mopey again-," 

"Silence, Gir!" Zim snapped. His cheeks darken significantly. 

The robot continued to cry. "You don't have to be so mean to him." Dib said. 

"He's screaming nonsense," Zim replied grouchily. He looked back at Dib, ruby orbs meeting golden irises. Dib swallowed hard as the Irken seem to stare right into his soul. Then, Zim fidgetted. 

"You...you should join them," Zim mumbled, tearing his gaze away from Dib to look at the floor. 

Dib's stomach clenched at that statement. At Zim's tone. "Why do you say that?" 

When Zim looked up, Dib felt his heart crack. The Irken had a sad, almost self deprecating smile on his face. It definitely wasn't something Dib thought he was capable of. 

"Eh...at least one of us should get what we want," said Zim sadly. 

Dib froze at that. He held back the insane urge to reach for Zim. To tackle him. To beat the fire back into him. He wasn't supposed to be sad! He was supposed to call Dib stupid for wanting to join some crazy organization that reminded Dib of a cross between Men in Black and Star Fleet. Zim wasn't supposed to concede. Zim wasn't supposed to give up. 

However, Dib thought of a better idea. “You could join, too, you know," Dib pointed out with a shrug. "Midge said they wanted both of us." 

"Tch! The amazing Zim joining into some rag-tag rebellion against his own race? Don't be stupid, Dib-beast." 

"Well...what do you have to lose?" Dib pointed out. "Your leaders banished you. Your mission isn't real." He shrugged. "Really what’s holding you back at this point?” 

Zim shifted. Since finding out about his exile, he had merely done his best to just…live his life. It was one thing to finally just do whatever he wanted, but to actually go against his planet…his people… 

He spared a glance at Dib. He tried to imagine what it would be like if the human did decide to join. He knew him better than anyone, and despite everything Dib had a huge hero complex, so it was extremely likely. Zim felt his squeedlyspooch twist uncomfortably. What would he do on Earth without Dib there? 

When he realized Dib was staring, he went on the defensive. “And miss an opportunity to get you as far away as possible? Yeah, right!” 

Dib frowned at that. Something about the way Zim said that sounded off. He understood now why Zim had kept up the fight in the past, but now that everything was out in the open, he seriously wondered what would happen if he left Zim on Earth. 

Dib was suddenly reminded of a time several years ago when he had gone to work under his father. When he had finally had enough of being ridiculously bored, he went back and tracked Zim down. He’d found the Irken sitting on his pink couch looking…depressed? In fact, if Dib thought about it, that wasn’t the only time such a thing had happened. There was a time only about four years ago when Dib’s family went on vacation, only that time when Dib returned, Zim had captured him in some cage trap. In fact, it had almost seemed like...Zim had been waiting for him... 

Dib couldn’t help but smirk. He knew he was probably playing with fire, but teasing Zim was way too much fun. 

"Says the one who can’t seem to function without me.” 

Zim’s head snapped up at that. “Eh? What nonsense are you speaking, now?”  

“Oh just how you always get _sad_ and _lonely_ whenever I’m not around,” Dib replied slyly. 

"Are you losing what's left of your brain-meats?!" Zim yelled, as he got to his feet. What was this human playing at?! "Zim does not get SAD or LONELY! And if I recall correctly, Dib, _you_ always come looking for _me_!” 

“I was just trying to protect my planet. Who knew what you were up to?” Dib replied easily. “Face it. You’re the one that needs me.” 

Zim glowered, debating on the pros and cons of just killing this stupid creature right here and now. "Zim does not need you, Dib!" He insisted. "Zim needs no one! Invaders need no one!" 

Dib's expression became positively diabolical. "You're not an Invader anymore." 

Before he could blink, Dib found himself tackled again, Zim grabbing him by the shirt and shaking him furiously. 

"YOU WRETCHED PIG-WEASEL! I'LL RIP OUT YOUR ORGANS AND USE THEM FOR DÉCOR! I'LL TEAR OFF YOUR LIMBS AND THROW THEM INTO SPACE! I'LL SHOVE OFF-BRAND OREOS DOWN YOUR THROAT!" 

"Now that's just cruel," Dib admitted. Off-brand Oreos were the actual worse. 

"I'm Irken, Dib! I eat cruelty for breakfast!" 

Dib nodded. "Yeah. Be kinda hard to do all that if you're not around me though, huh?" 

"Well that's...just..." Zim stammered for minute, before letting go of Dib's shirt and grabbing him by the shoulders. He squinted one of his eyes in suspicion. "Why are you trying to get me to stay?" 

Dib swallowed. Well, that was the question, wasn't it? He was certain the real answer was buried deep inside him, but he wasn't willing to find it, at the moment. So, instead, he shrugged. "Meh. I might get bored. You can entertain me." 

"I do not exist for you entertainment, Dib-smell!" Zim objected. 

"Could of fooled me with how you always lure me into elaborate traps and such," Dib replied. 

Zim frowned. "You have the strangest idea of entertainment." 

"So I've been told." 

There was another beat of silence, consisting of them simply staring at each other. However, it wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward. It sort of felt liked they'd finally cleared to air about a lot of things, and Dib felt really good about that. He offered Zim a smile, before it quickly fell as he realized their current position.  

Zim was hovering over him, hands still gripping his shoulders, his legs on either side of Dib's hips. Normally, Dib wouldn't feel so weird about this. They'd been in this position before several times. However, this time, there was one minor detail that made Dib's insides squirm: the fact that they were on a bed. 

"Um...Zim?" Dib said, trying to keep the nervousness out of his tone. He didn't dare move. The slightest movement would cause them to touch in places that did not need to be touching. Dib felt his body heat up against his will. 

Fortunately, Zim realized the position they were in as well. The Irken felt his face heat up slightly and he cleared his throat. He slid off of Dib, careful to avoid touching him as much as possible. Once he was on his feet he looked back at Dib, meeting those golden eyes once more. He did his best to ignore when his squeedlyspooch jumped. It really was a good thing the boy hadn't harkened to what was really going on. That would just be awkward for both of them. 

"I'll...consider the offer," Zim finally said, deciding it was best to end the conversation. He reached behind himself and undid the button on the back of his tunic before he lazily pulled it off. He didn't need to sleep, but he figured he could go into a short rest mode. When Zim turned around he found Dib staring at him. Seriously, the human needed to get some help for that problem. "What have I told you about staring at me?" 

Dib snapped out of it. He'd rarely seen Zim shirtless, and even then it hadn't been in person. Right in front of him. He did his best to avert his gaze without looking like he was averting his gaze, feeling a hot blush on his face. Ugh. What was wrong with him?! Why was he acting like this?! 

"I was just...staring at your PAK," Dib said. He mentally praised himself for thinking of something plausible. Even after once having the device attached to himself, there was still so much he didn't know about Zim's PAK. He was also curious about what Midge and Dek had said. That Zim was Defective. 

Zim watched the human closely. Dib looked pinker than usual, but he chose to ignore that in favor of how his eyes were narrowed in thought. Like he wanted to say something but didn't know how. He sighed heavily, swearing vengeance on the horrible Lazurothian and that annoying hybrid. "What did they tell you?" 

Dib looked back up at Zim's face and shifted slightly. He really wasn't in the mood for another fight. "They, uh," Dib strung his words together carefully. "They used the word Defective." 

Zim stared at him for a long time. He hated that word so much. It'd been years since he discovered the truth – that his trial had been a fluke. That his PAK was so corrupted that the Control Brain he was hooked up to couldn't even handle it. It took another year or so before he accepted it, but...he still hated it... 

"It means my PAK doesn't work like it's supposed to," Zim explained, sitting back on his bed. "Given...all the basic functions are still there. Memory storage, regenerative abilities, a selection of weapons." He brought out one of his PAK legs about a third of the way and twirled it for emphasis. "But...my PAK is supposed to...suppress certain things. Emotions that it considers unnecessary or even...counter-productive." 

Dib's brow furrowed. A stirring of anger was forming in his chest. He already didn't like the sound of this. "Like?" He asked. 

Zim sighed. "Every Irken is given a PAK. That PAK is eventually programmed with the job we are supposed to do for the rest of our lives. I was assigned as a weapons developer on Vort. But...It wasn't what I wanted to do. I wanted more. I wanted fame...glory." He caught Dib's gaze, their eyes meeting. "That was the problem. I wasn't supposed to want those things. For years it was a conflict of what I wanted and what my PAK wanted. I...believe that may have been why I screwed up so many times." He looked back down at the floor. He already felt like he had said too much, yet he hadn't even said the most damaging thing. That with his PAK, he shouldn't feel the things that had come to the surface in recent years. Things that had terrified him at first, as they were clues to what he should have known all along. That he was different. Defective. 

Stupid human. It was all his fault, after all. 

Dib's fists clenched. He knew a lot about Irk, but this was not something he had known. That the society basically forced it's inhabitants into certain roles, and to go against those roles meant you didn't belong. Beneath his anger, he felt a sense of sympathy. Hadn’t Dib always felt like the world was trying to force him into a mold he didn't fit into? Well, he was never made to feel _broken_ , but he definitely felt ostracized and alone. 

"There's nothing wrong with you, Zim," Dib told him, unable to stop himself. Zim's head snapped up, looking at the human with a mixture of shock and...something else entirely. It made Dib's heart skip a beat, that was for sure. "You're not broken. You're just...different." He found himself wanting to say more. The words were on the tip of his tongue. But he shoved them down. No sense in getting carried away. 

Zim continued to stare for a moment before that same self-deprecating smile slid across his features. It made Dib's stomach feel weird, made him want to get closer and show comfort. He resisted on all accounts. So he and Zim were more alike than he could have imagined, and perhaps Zim wasn't really the enemy anymore. It didn't mean they could be friends. It just meant there was no reason to fight each other anymore. 

"I know," Zim finally said, beginning to fiddle with the duvet on his bed. 

The silence that followed didn't last long. There was a strange whirring noise that came from Gir, like CD's changing in a stereo. Then, loud and obnoxious, a song began playing. It sounded like it had been started from somewhere in the middle. 

 _‘Cause_ _I don’t_ _wanna_ _lose you now_  

 _I’m looking right at the other half of me_  

 _The vacancy that sat in my heart_  

 _Is the space that now you hold_  

“GIR!” Zim shouted, his face heating up suddenly. “Stop that right now!” 

“Aww,” Gir said, stopping the song, his cyan eyes downcast. “But you like that song, Masta’,” 

“No I don’t you’re a liar and a thief and you’ve stolen a dragon egg!” 

“OMELETS!” 

Dib just sat there blinking at them. “How does Gir know that song anyway?” 

“Eh?!” Zim squawked defensively. “What song? There is no song! You heard nothing!” 

Dib continued to stare, debating on whether or not he wanted to press the issue. He wondered if this had anything to do with why Midge had cut Gir off earlier in the meeting room. However, just as he opened his mouth to ask, he gave a loud yawn. Exhaustion was finally catching up to him. Man, it had been one hell of a night. 

Zim gave him a strange look. Almost amused but...softer. "You should go to sleep, Dib," Zim told him. "The Midge will expect an answer at the beginning of the day cycle." 

Dib blinked. He really wanted to keep this conversation up, but he was tired. He fidgeted, feeling awkward as he debated on how he was going to get himself ready for bed in front of Zim. To his great relief, the Irken wasn't even looking at him. He tugged off his shoes and jeans, leaving him in just his t-shirt and boxers. Normally, he would take the shirt off as well, but he already felt weird about this and opted for the added security. 

"This is awkward," he mumbled to himself as he crawled under the covers. 

"I don't know what you're so bothered about," Zim said, stretching out to stare at the ceiling. "It's not like I haven't seen it all before." 

Dib's face immediately flared. "You...you're such a creep, Zim!" Dib protested, his voice cracking to his dismay. 

"Oh, like you have any room to talk," Zim replied with a smirk. 

Dib was tempted to start another argument, but as he yawned again he realized he was just too tired. He sighed, pulling his glasses off and putting them on the table beside him before finding the switch for the light. Even with his weariness, he still felt anxious about what morning would bring. About the decision in front of him. He struggled to get comfortable. 

"Sleep, human," Zim told him, amused at Dib's antics. 

Dib frowned at being told what to do. "Don't you need to sleep?" 

"No, actually," Zim replied smugly. "I can go into a stasis mode if seriously injured, or even a simple rest mode if I'm bored, but I do not require sleep like you do." 

"Oh." Dib grunted. 

Dib honestly wished he didn't need sleep. He...was kind of enjoying this, talking to Zim without screaming or insults or threats. He honestly wanted to know more. But, it was futile, as his exhaustion finally took him over. 

Ruby eyes watched him as he fell into slumber...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…you get Midge’s back story here. And how she and Dek met. Originally, I wasn’t gonna go into that much detail, but since people seemed to have warmed up to Midge alright, I figured what the hell. Trigger: her back story does mention incest.
> 
> Also, more Zim point of view stuff!

Zim sat in the quiet room for a long time, waiting for the human's breathing to even out. When it did he continued to stare at Dib, making sure he was definitely asleep. His squeedlyspooch seemed to do a flip at the sight. The way his hair fell along his face. How his long, black eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly. He looked innocent, and Zim was reminded of just how young Dib really was.  

He got to his feet and pulled his tunic back on, meaning to leave the room. Sitting here would get old quickly, and he figured no one would really care if he walked around as long as he didn't mess with anything. Then again, Zim could promise nothing. It sounded like this decrepit vessel could use some improvements.  

However, his feet went toward the other bed, toward Dib. He admired the human's pale skin, his defined cheek bones, the way his lips were slightly parted. Zim realized that his hand had moved of its own accord, wanting to touch. He retracted his fingers and pulled his arm back, scowling as he turned his feet toward to door.  

"Where ya goin', Masta'?" Gir asked.  

"I'm going to walk around for a bit," Zim replied, pushing the button for the door. "Stay here and keep an eye on Dib."  

"Yes, sir!" Gir answered, his eyes turning red as he saluted.  

Zim merely nodded as he exited the room. He didn't expect anything bad to happen, so he wasn't worried. But even so, Dib was quite capable of taking care of himself. Honestly, he just didn't want Gir to tag along. He needed to be alone with his thoughts.  

 _"You're not broken._ _You're just...different."_   

Zim felt his insides clench and twist and an all too familiar heat in his cheeks. Dib had no idea what that meant to him. Had no idea the effect those words had. He had no idea of the true power he had over Zim.  

It began almost four years ago, the summer break before Hi Skool. Dib had gone on some family vacation, leaving Zim alone and free to get some work done. However, as with every time Dib wasn't around, his plans were half-assed and lackluster. It was frustrating, how stupidly dependent he was on Dib.  

Perhaps what happen next shouldn't have been too surprising.  

When Dib returned, he wasted no time tracking Zim down. Zim had been ready for a fight, ready to teach the stupid creature that leaving an Irken Invader unintended was a dire mistake. However, as he came up the elevator to confront the perfectly captured human, he had found himself frozen. His squeedlyspooch had felt like it was going to burst right out of him. His face had felt incredibly hot. His antennae had even quivered.  

Dib had looked different. Of course, he very obviously still looked like Dib, but he had a bit of a tan to his skin and the scythe of his hair had grown just a tad. However, that was not the thing that had made Zim feel like he was going to explode at any moment. Oh no, he was sure of it now.  

Dib had gotten taller.  

That had only been the beginning, though. A broken flood gate. Zim was so annoyed about Dib's increased height - that even though Zim had grown quite a bit while on Earth he would never catch up. However, it wasn't out of envy. It was out of plain frustration. Because Zim blamed Dib's stupid growth spurt for everything that came after.  

Zim had been sure was ill. That he'd contracted some terrible Earth disease and he was going to die. Every time he would get around Dib he'd feel hot all over, fueling his already sky high fury for the boy's existence. Dib soon towered over him, looming, his golden eyes glaring heatedly down at the Irken. On more than one occasion, Zim had found himself shuddering. Not from cold. Not from fear. But...in  _want_.  

At the time, he hadn't been precisely sure what he wanted. After mounds of research and a long, long spiral of horror and disgust, he still couldn't bring himself to admit it. He shoved it down, hoping it would just go away on its own. Those feelings weren't allowed. They were meant for lessers. Defectives. Not for Zim.  

Then, upon hacking into the Tallests' communication lines (he hadn't heard from his leaders in a while), he had come across a conversation he was not supposed to hear. They called him a failure, a waste of time, a danger to Irk as a whole. His mission had been nothing more than a ruse to get rid of him for good. The verdict of his trial was yet another incident of his Defective PAK screwing things up.  

He hadn't yelled. He hadn't cried. He merely cut the communication. In fact he turned everything off for a while. For days, he just hung around, trying to sort things out.  

When Dib showed up, demanding to know what he'd been up to, it was like a blinding light had been shined down into the dark hole that Zim had fallen into. It was like in that moment, just like several years ago when Dib had abandoned him for REAL SCIENCE, Zim realized that it wasn't over. This wasn't the end. And so the chase continued. The chase became everything.  

Dib was everything.  

It took a little longer for Zim to finally admit it to himself, but when he did it wasn't a happy occasion. Gir had asked him later what the dining room table had done to deserve being destroyed to splinters, but Zim hadn't answered. He was too busy trying to hold himself together.  

He considered just ripping his organs out and ending the whole thing, but then he'd be dead and, excepting special circumstances, suicide wasn't really in his repertoire.  

Presently, Zim slammed his fist into the nearest wall, growling viciously. He hated feeling like this. He hated that whenever he was around Dib he felt warm inside. That whenever those burning gold eyes were directed at him that his skin tingled. That sometimes if he felt like going into a rest mode that the worst visions would plague him.  

Dib; his strong arms wrapped around Zim, embracing him in a gentle and protective hold.  

Dib; his body pressed close, Zim's back at a wall, the human's hot mouth on his own.  

Dib; on top of him,  _inside him_ , conquering Zim's body and soul in a way that he should not have wanted with every fiber of his being.  

But he did.  

He wanted Dib.  

And no matter how hard he tried, no matter how many times he told himself it was useless, fruitless, that the human would never, ever feel the same way, he couldn't make himself stop.  

"If you damage the ship, Dek's gonna make you pay for it," a voice stated beside him.  

Zim glanced out of the corner of his eye, recognizing the short stature and snow white hair. He scowled. "What do _you_ want?"  

Midge shrugged, indicating the glass in her hand. The liquid within was a dark purple. "I was getting a drink. I could hear you beating up the poor _Nazo_ from down the hall."  

Zim gave a wordless scoff, brushing past the annoying Lazurothian. He was not in the mood. At all.  

"You know," Midge said, catching up to Zim, "I have a theory."  

"I don't care," Zim retorted.  

Midge continued despite this. "What if Defects aren't Irkens with malfunctioning PAKs, but Irkens who simply have a will so strong they can  _defy_  what their PAKs tell them?"  

Zim stopped, staring at Midge with a squinted eye. He wasn't sure if she was serious or not. He looked at the drink in her hand. "You're drunk, aren't you?" 

Midge scoffed."Trust me, it's gonna take a lot more of these to get me drunk." She took a long sip as she turned to look out the nearby window. 

Zim rolled his eyes. He had come on this walk to be alone. He stared out the window as well, trying to guess what part of space they were in. There were no asteroids here. No nebulas or planets. Just endless stars.  

"So," Midge said, tapping her fingers on her glass. "How long?" 

Zim looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Eh? How long what?" 

"How long have you been trying to court our favorite human," asked Midge, raising a brow. 

Zim scowled and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Deny it all you want," she said. "But I know an Irken courtship ritual when I see one. Dek may be only half, but all those instincts are still there."

"You know nothing!" Zim argued.  

Midge rose a brow at him. "So you don’t know anything about a certain telescope that Dib got for his birthday?" She asked. 

Zim glared. He'd had taken a huge risk, giving Dib that telescope. However, considering Dib never confronted him about it, Zim figured the human never found out where it had come from. Or worse, that he didn't care. He was torn between being frustrated and relieved. He wanted Dib, probably more than anything, but the very thought of the blatant rejection he was sure to receive made him feel sick.

Ugh. He really hated how the human could turn him into such a horrendous coward. 

However, he refused to let the Midge know that she was right on target. So, instead, he opted to change the subject. "So. How does the Princess of Lazuroth end up light-years away from home, and part of a group that's in a war with the most dangerous empire in history?" 

Midge looked up at him and tilted her head. "You really wanna know?" 

To be honest, Zim just wanted to get the girl to stop talking about him and Dib, and figured the best way to do that was to get her to talk about herself. _He_ liked talking about himself, after all. Then again..."I will admit, I am a bit curious." 

Midge gave him a skeptical look for a moment before she smiled and took another sip of her drink. "When I was child, I ran away a lot," she began, staring out at the stars. "I hated life in the palace. Instructors telling me what to do, my mother always nagging me, people constantly watching me. It was infuriating. So, I would sneak away every chance I got. One time, I found myself beyond the wall of the city, where the males are forced to live." She looked up at Zim. "As I'm sure you can imagine, most male Lazurothians have a lot of resentment towards females. 

"So, naturally, a group of them approached me with less than savory intentions. But...a few boys who were a little bit older than me showed up and helped me escape." She smiled. "I found out later one of them was my brother." 

Zim squinted an eye. "How?" 

"All males born from royal blood are marked with a brand on the back of their necks," Midge explained. 

That only perplexed Zim more. "Why would they need to do that?"

"Because despite believing males in general are inferior," Midge said in a tone that displayed how disgusted she was, "The Cuppari women before me have always believed in keeping the royal bloodline pure. They believe it produces better queens." 

Zim frowned. He'd never understood sibling relationships (or any relationship, really) until living on Earth. Now, he knew what Midge was speaking of was called 'incest,' and was quite frowned upon by a majority of humans. However, it seemed Lazuroth had a different idea on it, and it was obvious that Midge didn't like it. 

"Anyway, once I found out he was my brother, it only made me run away more often," Midge continued. "I found out his name was Drun, and that he was one of six brothers I had. Most if the others just avoided me. It's kind of hard for me to blame them, though. 

"As we got older, Drun started talking about a revolution. He began gathering followers and I told him I would help however I could. Eventually we began plans to stage a coup the night of my Coming of Age Ceremony." Her expression became a harsh grimace. "It wouldn't be hard for us to get in. They hold a huge party to celebrate the night the princess is supposed to take her first mate. So, of course, they gather up all the marked males." She took a much larger swig of her drink, nearly tilting her head all the way back. Zim just stared at her. It was obvious that anything to do with her people's views on mating bothered her. 

"Where does that hybrid fall into any of this?" Zim asked. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Dek was Midge’s mate, seeing as she wore an Orok and Dek was half-Irken. He couldn’t fathom how a princess of a matriarchal society and an Irken hybrid could have ever met. It seemed impossible. 

Midge's face changed drastically, falling into a soft, wistful smile. "Our rebellion had a hideout far into the mountains. During a meeting we heard something crash outside." She laughed a little. "We were quite surprised to find an Irken ship had landed on our planet. So, we captured Dek and interrogated him. It didn't take long for us to figure out he was a hybrid on the run from the Irken Empire, and that he was with Team Nebula. 

"When he found out about our cause, he insisted that he couldn't get involved, that he was only staying until he could fix his ship up." She giggled softly. "And then he got involved anyway." She looked back up at Zim, holding her Orok. “It wasn’t love at first sight or anything, but we found we got along rather well. He would keep me in line and I would keep him from being too serious. And he was a huge help with the planning.” 

Her face fell suddenly, and she stared idly at her glass. “We were so sure that our plan was going to work.” 

Zim observed her for a moment, watched as her previously vibrant eyes became dull and distant. Obviously he knew that the attempt to overthrow Lazuroth’s current government had failed, but he wasn’t too sure on the details. “Tch. Did you really think it would be so easy?” he scoffed. 

Midge didn’t look at him. “We just miscalculated,” she replied quietly. “We honestly thought we had everything covered. We just…didn’t have enough people. Sigi was always telling Drun that we needed more time, more people, but Drun was always impulsive…and it cost him his life.” 

Zim found himself mildly confused. “Who is Sigi?” 

“Oh, another one of my brothers,” Midge answered. “He was younger than Drun but you wouldn’t know it unless they told you. Sigi was always more mature.” 

There was another long pause, where Zim just stared at Midge, waiting for her to continue. When he got impatient he asked, “That doesn’t explain how you ended up here.” 

Midge spared him a short glance before her mouth quirked upward. “It wasn’t too long after we failed that Dek finished fixing his ship,” she explained. “And...I realized that I couldn’t let him go.” 

Zim frowned. “You do realize you could have stayed, yes?” he asked. “You could have regrouped and helped the rebellion try again.” Zim understood that princesses tended to have a large influence over their people. And in the case of Lazuroth, the princess supporting the overthrow of the current society, of her own mother, was a huge deal. If Zim thought about it, Midge had missed out on quite the opportunity. 

“I could have done a lot of things,” Midge told him. “But…I chose Dek.”  

Zim observed Midge for a moment, how her mouth curved into a soft smile as she spoke of her mate. How she gave no excuse or apology for her decision. But he could also hear a different tone to her voice, could see something in her eyes as she stared out the window. It was strange how well he recognized that expression. _What_ _if_ … 

“Would you do it again?” he asked before he could stop himself. 

Midge spared him a glance as her smile widened. “Every time,” she answered quietly. 

They were silent for a very long time, just staring out at the millions of stars. Zim wondered why he hadn’t just walked away. He didn’t care much for this Lazurothian. Even if his attitude towards her had somewhat mellowed upon knowing that she was, indeed, bonded to someone else and not after Dib, that didn’t mean he liked her. 

“I really think you should join us,” Midge said suddenly. 

Zim stared at her incredulously. “Why?” 

“You’re ridiculously intelligent, we wouldn’t have to train you too much since you already have experience, and, personally, I think you’re a badass.” Midge explained. "I think you'd be an amazing asset." 

Zim continued to stare. “Do you really think catering to my ego will help you get your way?” 

Midge smirked. “Is it working?” 

Zim set his jaw. As much he thought this whole thing was stupid, he was always a sucker for compliments. “No,” he lied. “It is not.” 

Midge didn’t looked convinced, but she shrugged her shoulders. “A girl can try,” she remarked. “Though I do wonder who’s gonna keep an eye on Dib.” 

Zim froze at that. “Eh? What are you talking about? I thought that was your job?” 

“Oh, no,” replied Midge.  "I’m the doctor and First Officer. So no matter how much I would like to, I can’t keep an eye on him all the time.” 

Zim narrowed his eyes. He suddenly felt very angry that these people would be so irresponsible with what was rightfully his. Dib wasn’t stupid, but he could be impulsive, especially if someone was in danger. Without someone to keep him in check, the boy could very easily get himself killed. 

“Well, I’m out,” said Midge, indicating her empty glass. “I’m gonna go get a refill. Want to join me?” She nodded her head down the hall. 

Zim snapped out of his thoughts to frown at her. “And why should I do that?” 

“Because despite the fact that you seem to completely hate me, I happen to like you,” she replied easily. “Plus there few blank spots in your file I would like to hear about. And according to Dib you like to brag.” 

Zim had to admit, the offer was tempting. He knew he'd get bored just staring out a window, or even wandering around. And, honestly, when was the last time he'd had someone really listen while he talked about all his awesome accomplishments?  

"I suppose I could grace you with my amazing presence a while longer," he said, making his way in the direction that Midge had indicated. 

Midge grinned, walking at his side. “I feel so honored,” she replied. 

"As you should," said Zim.

Midge giggled  as the two of them made their way down the hall. 

 

000000000000000000 

 

Dib woke up the next morning particularly groggy. It took him a bit to gain his bearings and remember where he was. He took his glasses from the bedside table and placed them on his face, staring at the ceiling for a bit. He took a breath and forced himself to sit up.  

For a minute there, he'd been sure it had all been a crazy dream he'd had. But, no. It had all been real. Midge and Dek were aliens, specifically a Lazurothian and an Irken/Vortian hybrid, and they had asked him to join their group, Team Nebula. To join in the fight against the Irken Empire. 

And he hadn't been the only one they'd asked... 

His heart jolted weirdly, remembering his conversation with Zim last night. He looked over at the other bed, finding it completely empty. It didn't even look like it had been slept in. Gir was gone, as well. Dib's brow furrowed. Where was Zim? It wasn't like he could up and leave without a word, right? 

Pushing those thoughts aside, Dib pulled the covers off and opened up the drawers of the beside table. He found a change of clothes in the top drawer, just as Midge had said. The pants were black, and were made of a sturdy but flexible material. The shirt was a dark charcoal, resembling a short sleeved tunic more than a t-shirt, and was made of a more lighter fabric. There was even a pair of underwear. Dib couldn't help the flush of his cheeks. He did not want to know how they knew his sizes. 

He pulled his jeans from last night back on before heading out of the room with his change of clothes, wanting to check out what Midge called the cleansing facility. He seriously hoped it was similar to a shower. He felt gross, and was now regretting going to sleep before cleaning up like he usually did.  

Luckily, the cleansing facility looked very much like the showers in the locker room at his school gym, each one separate and very private – which Dib was very glad for. After finding a clean towel in the nearby closet, he found an empty one and sat his clothes on the bench provided. He turned the knob in the shower and a light green liquid came out. He reached out tentatively to touch it and found it safe. He figured they couldn't really have water, especially since their captain was half Irken. 

After showering and dressing, he made a trip back to his and Zim's room to toss his dirty clothes on his bed for now. He'd figure out what to do with them later. He took a breath, making his way to go find Midge and Dek. 

He was ready to give them his decision... 

After wandering around the ship for a while, he found Milgor as he turned a corner. He increased his pace slightly to catch up. "Hey, excuse me," he asked. Milgor turned around, his four eyes blinking one after the other as he craned his head to look up at Dib. "Do you know where I can find Midge?" 

Milgor grinned, showing off sharp, thin teeth. Dib tried not to cringe. "Dr. Cuppari you mean?" He asked, his voice gurgling. Dib nodded. "She's in the meeting room," he said, nodding ahead. "Follow me." 

Dib nodded and began to follow the small, orange alien down the corridor. He rubbed the back of his neck. "So, uh, what race are you?" 

"Gloopian!" Milgor replied cheerfully. He explained further at Dib's confused expression. "From the planet Gloop. It's a tiny planet on the outskirts of the Remular Galaxy." 

Dib nodded awkwardly. He had no idea where that was, but it was interesting none the less. "What do you do on the ship?" 

"I'm the Head Scientist. I do everything from conducting research on newly discovered planets to experiments with different energies and materials. Sometimes I even help Dr. Cuppari with medicines and such." 

"That's...actually really cool," Dib admitted. 

Milgor beamed. "It's exciting work, and extremely conducive to everything Team Nebula does. When we're not in the middle of a war, we're sort of a jack-of-all-trades organization. We handle everything from relocations of refugees to negotiations with outside powers. We're very important to the Galactic Alliance." 

Dib nodded again. He appreciated that information. It hadn't been something Dek and Midge had mentioned. Then again, considering the situation, it wasn't too relevant. 

"Here we are!" Milgor said cheerfully, indicating a door to the left. He lifted one of his lanky tentacles to hit the button to open the door before entering. Dib followed after him, observing the room. Midge and Dek sat at the head of the table, chatting away with the other crew members. Yara and the co-pilot, Krugg, were seated to the left of Midge. He noticed another female-looking alien sitting on Dek's right. Her skin was light purple, almost metallic looking, and she had very defined cheekbones. The  pink-purple hair on her head looked more like the tentacles of a jellyfish. They even seem to move around in some parts. He hadn't remembered seeing her on the bridge. Dib also noticed that the engineer, E.J., wasn’t in the room. 

 He felt a sudden tug in his gut. Where _was_ Zim? 

"Hello, Dib," Dek said, suddenly jolting Dib from his thoughts. He quickly realized that he was just standing at the front of the room rather awkwardly, as Milgor had taken a seat next to the purple skinned alien he hadn't gotten the name of. "Did you sleep well?" Dek asked as he leaned back in his seat. 

Dib pressed his mouth into a thin line. His heart pounded erratically in his chest. His palms were sweating. But he knew what he wanted. "Where do I sign?" 

Dek's antennae perked up, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his features. Midge beamed, seeming to tremble with held-back joy.  

"Why don't you have a seat," Dek said. "We're just waiting on E.J. to-," 

"Captain!" E.J. exclaimed as he entered the meeting room. His black eyes were wide with excitement. "You're not going to believe this!" 

Everyone in the room looked up. Dek looked perplexed. "What is it, E.J.?" 

"Cannon ball!" Came a familiar screech. Gir literally leapt into the room, landing on the table to spin on his head. He giggled insanely. 

"What the-," Krugg began in his deep, gruff voice. 

"Gir! Calm down this instant!" Ordered the robots master as he stomped into the room. 

Dib stared at Zim as he stood beside E.J. Gone was the magenta Invader uniform he had worn since the day they'd met. It was replaced with the same outfit Dib wore. Except Zim had wide hips that the outfit accentuated, and the V-neck showed off a defined collarbone that Dib rarely got to see. He felt heat in his cheeks as he swallowed thickly, fixated on what he was seeing. 

He forced himself to look away, wanting desperately to bang his head against a wall. What the hell was wrong with him?! 

"Zim, what is the meaning of this?!" Dek asked, sounding irritated by the former Invader's very presence. 

Zim squinted an eye at the hybrid, looking offended. "I'll have you know, _Captain_ -," he said the title quite mockingly - "That I, the AMAZING ZIM, have managed to solve your energy crisis." 

Dek blinked. "I'm sorry, what?" 

"It's true, Captain," E.J. said excitedly. He nudged Zim with his fist in a friendly manner. "This little guy's a genius." 

Zim frowned as he, quite literally, brushed off E.J's gesture. "Do not touch Zim. And do not refer to me as 'little guy.'" He turned to Dek. "The previous set up you had was abhorrently inefficient. I had to make due with the current supplies you had, but it will prove useful should we run into any enemies on our way to...wherever." He waved his hand dismissively. 

Midge rose from her seat. She had an almost insane look of glee on her face. "We?" 

Zim smirked. "Of course," he said, looking over at Dib. "I can't have my property falling into the hands of anyone but me, after all."  

Dib glared. "I'm NOT your property. Wait-," he paused, comprehending what Zim was saying. "You're actually going to join?" 

"Oh my God," Dek said in disbelief. 

Zim merely cackled, looking as smug as ever. Dib was flabbergasted. He wondered what had happened for Zim to make this decision. Had it been their conversation last night, or perhaps something else? 

Before he could begin asking questions, Midge gave the most high pitched squeal he had ever heard from someone that wasn't Gir. Everyone in the room turned to look at her, most of their expressions concerned. Dek, however, looked almost amused. Midge's cheeks colored when she realized everyone was staring. "I mean...good to have the two of you on board," she said. 

"Sit down, Dr. Cuppari," Dek told her, shaking his head. 

Midge did so, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room. Dib took a moment to look back at Zim, finding the Irken looking back out of the corner of his eye. The smug expression melted away, being replaced by a much softer one. The smallest but most sincere smile was on Zim face. Dib's heart nearly stopped at the sight. He pulled his gaze away, instead deciding to observe the adjacent wall.  

He couldn't for the life of himself fathom why the stupid smile on his own face suddenly appeared. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, more back story stuff. There's just a little about the rest of the crew. They're not as important or relevant as Midge and Dek are going to be, but they're gonna pop up every now and then. So I figured you should know who they are. 
> 
> I have no clue how hacking works. Or computers in general. So I’ll just…do my best

While they signed the initial paper work, Dib and Zim were introduced to the rest of the crew properly. Dib, of course, was polite and attentive, very interested in learning about all these species he hadn’t heard of yet. Zim, on the other hand, merely nodded here and there, barely paying attention. 

The alien with the light purple skin was named Matsuri, and she was from a planet called Icthys. She was Team Nebula’s Head Communication’s Officer and was fluent in over twenty different languages. Dib was extremely impressed. The only other language he knew how to speak was Spanish, and that obviously wasn’t going to help him here. 

Krugg was from Galadon, a huge planet that had been part of the Galactic Alliance for years. Not only was he the co-pilot on the _Nazo_ , but he was also their Chief Weapons Expert. Dib could already tell he didn’t really like Zim, based on the distasteful looks. Then again, it wasn’t exactly easy for anyone to like the little green jerk. 

The pilot, Yara, was born on planet Argyros, a planet outside the Galactic Alliance. However, her family fled during a civil war when she was very young. She got accepted to one of the military academies at a young age, which was where Team Nebula had recruited her after seeing her fly one of the vessels on campus. 

E.J., whose real name was so long that Dib could kind of understand why he only went by two letters, was one of the oldest members. He had served under Team Nebula's previous captain, and made a few teasing comments about how Dek had insisted on using the _Nazo_ when he took the post. Dek didn't seem too irritated, merely rolling his eyes. 

Dib also learned that E.J. and Yara were bonded mates, and had been for a few years now. His brow furrowed as he eyed Midge, remembering the Orok around her neck. He could sort of take a guess that she was with Dek, but didn’t want to assume. However, he was more fascinated by the fact that in a short span of time he had met two interspecies couples. He couldn’t help but wonder if that was a common thing out here in space. 

Once they were done signing everything, Midge took them on a real tour of the ship. As she did so, she began telling them about her own back story – her life on Lazuroth, how she helped in a failed revolt, meeting Dek and then leaving with him. Dib found her story fascinating. Zim, on the other hand, merely directed his attention elsewhere, not seeming very interested. 

"Do you ever think you'll try to go back?" Dib asked as they made their way to their next stop. 

Midge shrugged. "Maybe someday," she said as they entered a room with several computers. "But right now, there's just so much going on." 

At that moment, Dek entered the room, gaining the other three's attentions. "Got all the paper work sorted out," Dek told them, before his eyes fell on Dib. "All that's left is to call your family." 

Dib balked at that. He couldn't help but think of Gaz's reaction, or what even he was going to tell his father. "Uh...do I have to?" He asked only half-jokingly. 

Dek shrugged. "I won't make you. I just figured you would want to." 

Dib considered this for a moment. He knew that the longer he left Gaz in the dark, the worse his fate would be the next time he saw her. As for his dad, well, he wasn't quite sure what to do about that, yet. "Okay," he said simply. 

Dek nodded and turned to Midge. "Mind taking Zim to the lab so we can get set up?" 

"Eh?" Zim grunted. "What are you talking about?" 

"Your tracker," explained Midge. "We need to deactivate it before we reach Polaris." 

Dib rose a brow. "What's Polaris?" 

"It's the space station we're headed towards," Dek answered. "The _Nazo_ has a scrambler to block out the trackers frequency, but an Intergalactic Space Station is too large for such a thing." 

Midge nodded. "So, Dek's gonna hack in there and get it shut down," she said brightly.

Zim frowned at them. "You are aware that once you access the tracker you will have three minutes to deactivate it before my PAK self-destructs, correct?” 

That made Dib gape at both Midge and Dek. He was very bothered that they didn't look worried. "What?!" He gasped. 

"Dek's done this a couple times before," Midge told them. "Don't worry." 

Dib still couldn't help but feel mildly apprehensive.

Once Midge managed to drag Zim out of the room, Dib and Dek stared at each other. Dib would admit, he felt kind of awkward having the hybrid here. They hadn't communicated much while they were on Earth, so he didn't feel as comfortable with him as he did with Midge. "Uh...do you...have to be here?" 

Dek shrugged. "If you want me to go, I can," he said. "I just figured I'd stay in case you need help explaining something. I know it's a lot." 

Dib nodded. Now that he thought about it he appreciated the thought. Explaining things to his sister shouldn't be too much of a problem. His father however... 

Dek lagged behind as Dib took his place at one of the communication consoles. He was able to establish a line with Gaz’s computer pretty easily. He sincerely hoped he wasn't interrupting her gaming. That would not bode well for him. 

In a matter of moment's Gaz's image appeared on the screen, frowning harshly. "Where have you been?" She asked darkly. 

Well, on the bright side, she didn't sound too angry yet. 

"Uh...it's kind of a long story," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Gaz sighed and set her jaw. "Start talking." 

Dib obeyed, telling Gaz everything that had happened from taking Tak's ship to follow Midge the night before, all the way to what he knew about Team Nebula. When he was through, Gaz reiterated, "So, let me get this straight. Midge is actually an alien, you're lightyears from Earth, you and Zim joined some weird secret alien Special Forces, who are currently helping a resistance group against the Irken Empire. Did I miss anything?" 

Dib shrugged. "Maybe the part that apparently Zim's mission has been lie this whole time? But, you know, details." 

Gaz huffed out of her nose and shook her head. "You know, I would say I'm surprised, but I'm not," she said. "Why did Zim join, though? I mean, I get his leaders were assholes to him but still..." 

"I think I sort of goaded him into it," Dib replied, though honestly he wasn't really sure. 

Gaz's expression became very amused. "That doesn't surprise me either." She tucked a stray strand of her long purple hair behind her ear. "So...what are you going to tell Dad?" 

Dib tensed. "I, uh, hadn't thought about it..." 

"Is that Dib?" Called Professor Membrane's voice. Dib could see on the screen where he was sticking his head through the door of Gaz's room. The siblings exchanged looks, Dib trying to silently plea to his sister. But he knew it was no use as their father entered the room. "Son! Where have you been? You gave us quite a fright when we couldn't find you this morning!" 

Dib opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of how the handle this. He could attempt to put together some elaborate lie, but he honestly didn't trust himself to do so. He would admit, he kind of sucked at lying. However, the truth would only lead to Dib being angry and frustrated, because no matter what his father was just _so blind_. 

"Professor Membrane?" Dek suddenly said, pulling a chair up next to Dib. Dib's eyes widened, staring between Dek and his father. What was Dek doing? "My name is Captain Dek. How are you doing today?" 

Professor Membrane appeared to give no reaction. "Erm...I'm doing well," he replied. "May I ask how you know my son?" 

"Funny you should ask," said Dek. "I belong to an organization known as Team Nebula. Now, usually, I'm not supposed to reveal that sort of information, but I see this as a special circumstance." He placed a hand on Dib's shoulder. "You've got one hell of a boy here, Professor. I hope you know that." 

"Oh, um, thank you," replied Professor Membrane. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Pardon my asking, but do you happen to know Dib's friend, Zim? He has a similar skin condition to yours." 

Dek squinted an eye and his antennae twitched. Dib watched as the hybrid pulled a knife from his pocket. "We've met," Dek said quickly. "But never mind him. We're talking about Dib." He gave Dib a smirk. "Go on. Tell him what's going on." 

Dib stared at Dek for moment, taking in the hybrid's confident expression. Obviously, he had a plan. After a bit of hesitating, Dib found his conviction. Or, more so, he found eleven-year-old Dib's conviction. "Dad," he said boldly, "I joined a secret alien organization that's helping an underground resistance take on a giant alien empire." 

It was suddenly so quiet afterward that one could have heard a pin drop from several miles away. It seemed to last forever. Dib felt his heart pounding erratically and his stomach flipping, as he wondered if he should have just kept his mouth shut. 

Finally, Professor Membrane reacted, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. "And here I thought we were past all that," he said, disappointment coating his words. "My poor insane-," 

He didn't get to finish as Dek used the knife in his hand to create a slice across his forearm. Dib gaped, watching as dark purple blood oozed from the wound. He looked back at his father, finding the man looking quite stunned. 

"Remind me again," Dek said, giving the Professor a pointed look. "What color is human blood?" 

Professor Membrane continued to look shocked. "It's...red..." He said. 

Dek narrowed his eyes. "Huh. Interesting." He ripped off a part of his shirt and wrapped up the wound. "Mine's purple and Zim's is pink. How funny." 

Professor Membrane simply stood there staring a moment longer before he slowly turned on his heel. Without another word, the man left Gaz's room, leaving her, Dib and Dek to exchange glances. 

"I think you broke him," mentioned Gaz, sounding amused. 

Dek shrugged as he cleaned his knife and replaced it in his pocket. "Midge mentioned that he's a very close minded individual," he explained. "I used extreme measures." 

"You think?" Dib asked, still shocked at what Dek just did. 

"Just don't tell Midge about this," said Dek. He looked back at Gaz. "It was very nice to meet you, by the way." 

Gaz rose an eyebrow, looking Dek up and down. "Are you going to make sure my brother doesn't die?" 

Dek hesitated. "Er..." 

"Because if he dies I'm holding you personally responsible," she told him in a threatening tone. 

"Gaz, it's not gonna be his fault if I die," Dib interrupted. "I'm not _going_ to die." 

"You better not," Gaz told him menacingly. "Because if you do, I'm going to dig up your old Grimoire and resurrect you and use you as our guard dog." 

Dib grimaced. Gaz knew he hated the idea of being a zombie. "You don't even know where I buried that thing."  

"Underneath the sycamore on the playground of our old elementary school," Gaz replied easily. "Buried a good five feet down in a metal safe-box. Combination's thirty , three, one." 

Dib was gaping. "How do you know all that?!" 

"Because if there's one thing you and I have in common, it's our love of snooping," Gaz told him with a grin. 

"Gaz-," 

"Gotta go, Dib. Tell Zim to make sure to bring your body back!" Then the communication was cut. 

Dib sighed, catching Dek's gaze again. The hybrid had an uncertain look on his face. "You're sister is an interesting character." He said. 

Dib gave him a sympathetic look. "It's okay. I know she's terrifying." 

Dek frowned. "I am not afraid of your sister." 

"Dek, everyone's afraid of my sister," Dib pointed out. 

Dek gave a wordless scoff that reminded Dib of Zim. He wondered if it was just an Irken thing. As they got up from the console, Dib rubbed to back of his neck. "Um...thanks for helping me with my dad." 

"Not a problem," Dek replied. "Has he always been like that?" 

Dib nodded. "Unfortunately," he mumbled bitterly. "Either he's telling me I'm insane or he's nagging me to join him at his company. It's always about what _he_ wants. Not what _I_ want." 

Dib could feel Dek's eyes on him, and looked up to find the hybrid studying him intently. Dek gave him a empathetic look. "It is a shame your father doesn't see past your different interests," he said. "My father died when I was very young, but even so he never tried to pressure me into anything." 

Dib folded his arms across his chest. "You're lucky," he blurted. When he realized how that could have sounded, he back tracked. "I mean...I'm not saying that-," 

Dek waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. I understand what you meant," he reassured. “By the way, what is a Grimoire?” 

Dib snorted. “I’ll tell you all about it.” 

Dek let Dib chat away until they found the lab, seeing Midge pressing a button or two on a console against the back wall. Zim was seated a few feet away, a thick, black cord already attached to the inside of his PAK. There were a couple of Milgor's assistants seated at a small lab table across the room, working on some other experiment. 

"Well, it's about time," said Zim impatiently, glaring at Dek and Dib. "The Midge and I have been waiting FOREVER! You talk too much, Dib-stink!" 

Dib gave him a very pointed look. "Yes, because you're so quiet," he drawled. 

"I will quiet your face!" Zim retorted. 

"What does that even mean?!" Dib said in frustration. 

"Alright, you two," Dek said in an authoritative tone. He walked over to the console and stood next to Midge. "Looks like everything's in order." 

"What happened to your arm?" Midge asked suspiciously, gazing where his cut was wrapped up. The wrapping showed a small bit of purple seeping through. 

Dek waved her off. "It's nothing." 

Midge frowned and looked at Dib. "What happened to his arm?" 

"It's not important," insisted Dek. "Now focus, Cuppari." 

Midge made a face that looked very similar to a pout, but she argued no further. Dib took a moment to observe everything. He could see that Zim's PAK was opened up, revealing a complex mainframe with hundreds of tiny glittering lights. The black cord was connected to one of the many ports he could see.  

"This is incredible," Dib said in awe 

“Of course it is,” Zim bragged. “Irken technology is the most advanced in the universe.” 

Dib rolled his eyes, continuing the study the inside of Zim's PAK. He then looked over at the screen, finding Dek bringing up a window with a bunch of Irken symbols. "So how's this gonna work," he asked curiously. 

"Midge is going to push those three buttons," Dek explained. "Once we do that the timer will start. Now, normally, maintenance workers on Irk would put in a series of passwords to get to the tracker. Since we don't have those passwords, I'm going to have to find a way around the blocks before the timer hits zero." He took a moment to crack his knuckles. "Shouldn't be too hard," he remarked. "The last two times I even beat the halfway point." 

Zim squinted an eye. "Who else had their tracker deactivated?" 

"A couple of Irkens who joined the Resisty," Dek replied. "You might know them. Tenn and Skoodge?" 

Zim's eyes widened. "They joined the Resisty?!" 

"Yep." 

"So you never deactivated Tak's tracker?" Dib asked curiously. 

"She never got that far," replied Midge with a scowl. "We brought her with us because she knew things about Earth and about the two of you. But I always thought she sounded a little too eager." 

Dek rolled his eyes. "Well, it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. She would have just had it reactivated the minute she returned to Irk. But, luckily, she never made it to Polaris." 

"Why?' Dib asked. "What's on Polaris?"  

"Team Nebula's headquarters," replied Midge. "Well, what we use for headquarters, anyway. The space station holds Polaris Academy, one of the most prestigious military schools in the known universe. We all actually double as staff." 

"The two of you however will be enrolled in the Accelerated Training Program during your probationary period," added Dek. "But we'll discuss that more later." He looked over at Midge. "Ready?" 

"As I'll ever be," Midge said noncommittally. She looked over at Milgor's assistants, who had stopped what they were doing to stare. "Better enjoy the show, huh?" 

The scientists bolted from the room. 

"Cowards," Zim growled. 

"I don't know what they think they'll accomplish," added Midge. "If this goes south the whole ship is screwed." 

Dib felt his stomach plummet at that, suddenly feeling anxious. He noticed how Dek gave Midge a pointed look. "Your confidence is astounding," the hybrid drawled. 

Midge opened her mouth to reply only to be interrupted when Gir suddenly appeared from under the console to dance and cheer. "Greenie, Greenie, he's our man! If he can't do it WE ALL GONNA DIE!" 

All four of them stared at the little robot. After a moment, Midge looked at Dek. "There's your vote of confidence." 

“Where have you been, anyway?” Zim demanded of Gir 

“Oh, E.J. took the liberty of fixing him up a bit,” Midge explained as they all watched Gir do the Macarena. “Just a few upgrades. Since he’s a glitched SIR unit, we didn’t have to worry about him being connected with Irk.” 

Zim frowned. “You might have been better off deactivating him.” 

"Don't tempt me," Dek grumbled. 

Midge shoved him. “No," she insisted, turning back to Zim. "He’s your SIR unit. Besides, E.J. just tinkered with some of his command...thingies. His personality is hilarious, though.” 

Dek shook his head. "Command receptors," he told her in exasperation. "Seriously have I taught you nothing?" 

"I'm a doctor, not an engineer," Midge replied with a smirk. 

"Oh my God, Midge," Dib said, burying his face in one of his hands, even as he failed not to smile. 

Gir walked over to the cord that connected Zim’s PAK to the console. “Masta’ there’s a snake in your boot!” 

“Don’t touch it, Gir!” Zim commanded. 

At once, Gir retracted his hand and jumped to full attention. “Yes, sir!” 

Zim blinked. Dib blinked. Dek rolled his eyes. Midge looked like she was trying not to laugh. 

Zim squinted an eye. “GIR! Sleep mode!” 

“Okie dokie!” Gir replied. He then fell to the ground and curled up on his side before falling asleep. He even made little snoring noises. Zim looked up at Midge and gave her a begrudgingly look. 

“I'll let E.J know you said thank you,” she said teasingly. 

Dek sighed roughly. "Can we get on with this, please?" 

Midge rolled her eyes, but she returned to her previous position. She and Dek shared a look before the hybrid gave a nod. Immediately Midge pressed the three buttons that had been indicated earlier. Dib watched as Zim's PAK lit up bright red, and the screen displayed a blinking Irken message over and over. 

 ** _Accessing Tracker. Three minutes before detonation._**  

Dek immediately went to work, his fingers tapping rapidly across the keyboard. His emerald eyes were narrowed in pure concentration. Dib was glad he had made a point to obsessively learn the Irken language. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to keep up with what was happening. He watched as Dek bypassed block after block, finding himself rather impressed. 

Then, the message on the screen began to blink more quickly, and Zim's PAK began to make a shrill beeping noise. "Shit," hissed Dek. 

Immediately, Zim panicked. "What is that?!" 

"It means we're at the halfway mark," explained Midge. She suddenly looked very worried. "Dek what's happening?" 

"I've never seen this kind of corruption," said Dek, sounding frustrated. "I can't make heads or tails of it." 

"What?!" Zim screeched. 

"No need to panic," said Midge, though a touch of fear made its way into her tone. Dib distinctly heard her mutter, "Yet." 

Dib’s eyes flew across the screen, trying to analyze the situation. Without another thought, he stepped forward. "Let me," he said, nudging Dek out of the way. 

Dek's mouth became a thin line but he said nothing against Dib's request. Dib's fingers began flying over the buttons at lightening speed, getting past the blocks at a much faster rate. The corruption Dek was talking about was definitely a speed bump, but with a few choice code words, it was easily foiled. 

"Twenty-five seconds!" Midge yelled.  

Dib's stomach clenched and he could feel sweat forming at his hairline. His breathing was rapid. A tiny quiver of panic erupted for a single second, saying he wouldn't make it. 

He told that thought to go to hell. 

"If I blow up because of you, Dib, I swear I will haunt you in the after life!" Zim shouted. 

"Not helping, you lizard!" Dib snapped. 

"Ten seconds," Dek observed aloud. 

 _Please be the last one_ , Dib begged mentally. 

“Three.” 

 _Come on. Come on._  

“Two.” 

 ** _Do you wish to deactivate this tracker?_**  

“Hell yes I do!” Dib shouted, pressing the appropriate button to do just that. 

 ** _Tracker_** **_successfully_** **_deactivated_**. 

The alarm on Zim’s PAK stopped, leaving the lab extremely silent. Dib took in a huge gulp of air and let it out, glancing over at Midge and Dek. Both of their eyes were wide with shock, but also filled with pride. Dib couldn’t help the swell in his chest. That wasn’t a look he got to see very often. 

“That,” Midge said, walking over and disconnecting Zim from the console, “was amazing.” 

"I'll say," added Dek. "You're even better than we thought." 

Dib rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks.” 

“Don’t let it go to your gigantic head, Dib-stink,” Zim told him as Midge closed his PAK up. “It’s going to take a lot more than your hacky-brain powers to overthrow the Control Brains.” He poked Dib’s head for emphasis. 

Dib rolled his eyes and slapped Zim’s hand away. “Come on. Admit it. You’re a little impressed.” 

“Zim admits NOTHING!” 

However, Dib didn’t miss the proud gleam in Zim’s eyes, or the slight curve of his mouth. 

Dek reached over and patted Dib’s shoulder, a small smile on his. "Good work, Membrane," he told him proudly. Dib smiled in return, still not used to praise. Then Dek turned to Zim. "And congratulations, Zim. You have officially cut all ties to the Irken Empire."  

Zim's expression was hard to read as he stared at the screen, his mouth a thin line. Dib resisted the urge to reach out for him, figuring any sort of comfort he attempted to offer probably wouldn't be too appreciated right now. None the less, Dib wondered what Zim must be feeling. Maybe before there was the tiniest chance he could have redeemed himself to his leaders, but now that rickety bridge was decimated.  

On the other hand, Zim had destroyed it himself. No one had forced him to do this, he had done so willingly, for one reason or another. Dib still wasn't quite sure of what was motivating Zim to do all this, but he honestly wondered if it was even worth asking. He remembered how it went when he had asked about Zim's mission. The Irken was incorrigible when he didn't want to divulge information.  

“Come on, Dek,” Midge said, pulling the hybrid by his uninjured arm. “We’re going to the medical bay.”  

Dek frowned. “I told you, I’m fine.”  

“We are going to the medical bay,” Midge repeated more insistently. She looked over at Dib and Zim. “Dinner should be ready soon. See you guys there.”  

As Midge and Dek left the room, Dib’s stomach gave an obnoxiously loud grumble. He felt his cheeks color. "Shut up, stomach," he complained.  

"You're stomach is insatiable, Dib-worm," Zim said with a chuckle. "Where do you even put all the food stuffs you eat?"  

Dib glared. "I don't eat that much!"  

"Yes. It must go to your ginormous head!"  

Dib growled, but decided not to take the bait this time. Obviously something was bothering Zim, and for some reason that Dib couldn't fathom, he wanted to help in some way. "Should I take your annoying demeanor to mean that you're perfectly fine?"  

"Eh?" Zim grunted, still staring at the screen every now and then. "What are you talking about? I'm wonderful!"  

Dib stared at him, making his expression as incredulous as possible. He knew that was complete bull. He waited in silence for quite some time, almost deciding to drop the whole thing. Then, Zim lifted his hands a bit and looked down at them. He flexed his fingers a few times.  

"I feel...uncertain," Zim confessed slowly. "Freedom...the closest thing I had to it was when I became an Invader. But...even then I was only supposed to do what was instructed by my leaders." He frowned harshly, his hands balling into fists. "Being banished...I was an outcast to the Empire, yet still under their control. Now, however..." He paused, staring out at nothing for a moment. He threw his hands down and looked up at Dib with irritation. "This is your fault! You make me feel icky and...FEELY! Stop infecting me with your feels!"  

Dib sighed. Well, that didn't last long. He rolled his eyes as he said, "You know, you can't always blame me for your problems."  

"Of course I can!" Retorted Zim. "You are the bane of my existence!"  

"Yeah, the first chance I get I'm throwing you out the air lock," Dib grumbled, making his way out of the lab.  

Zim was hot on his heels. "You will do no such thing!"  

"You wanna bet?" Dib challenged.  

"Don't be stupid,” Zim sneered. “You’re the one who convinced me to stay. We both know how much you would miss me."  

Dib glared, his face flaring. "I won't miss when I punch you in the face!"  

"It's okay, Dib," Zim continued mockingly. "I know I'm amazing, and I'm glad you've finally come to realize this as well."  

Dib shoved the Irken in retaliation. "You are so annoying!"  

Zim shoved him back. "Your face is annoying!"  

Within a matter of minutes the two of them were tussling on the floor, both set on beating the ever loving crap out of each other. Four crew members, including Krugg and E.J. had to break them up. Dib suffered a few bruises and several scratches. After sitting in the medical bay to have his injuries tended to, he and Zim found themselves enduring an exasperated lecture from Dek.  

“Seriously?” Dek groaned. Dib noticed that the wrap on his arm was gone and his wound was cleaned and sealed. “We can’t leave to two of you alone for five minutes?”  

“He started it!” Both Dib and Zim said at the same time. They glowered at each other angrily.  

“I don’t care,”Dek said sternly. “I know the two of you have a rough history, but you’re comrades now. You can’t be constantly fist fighting all the time. Especially once we get to Polaris.”  

Dib continued to give Zim a scathing look, which the Irken eagerly returned. He honestly couldn’t imagine not fighting with Zim, especially since they shared a room.  

Dek sighed roughly. “Look, we’re making another warp jump soon, then it’ll be another few days before we reach Polaris. Just...try to get along until then. Got it?”  

Dib resisted the urge to scoff, wanting to argue. However, a part of him knew that he and Zim were capable of being civil. It was just a matter of staying civil. He groaned. Why hadn't wanted Zim to come again.

However, wanting to avoid anymore confrontation for the time being, Dib simply muttered out, "Yes, sir."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there’s some fun stuff in this chapter. But…uh…don’t get too excited. (Trololololo)

Dib was really beginning to wish he hadn’t convinced Zim to stay. He tried his hardest not to get into any more fights, but it really was easier said than done. From the day they had met they had been fighting each other, so of course being on the same side was going to take some getting used to. But it also didn’t help that Dib had discovered that Zim had been right. He did like fighting Zim. He liked the thrill of blocking the Irken’s assaults, the rush of adrenaline and fury, the flutter of anticipation when Zim had him pinned down… 

However, when Dib sat down and thought about it, he was beginning to wonder if it was really the _fighting_ he was liking. Something else was brewing inside him, something that he had managed to keep squashed so deep he had barely ever acknowledged it. But, slowly it was bubbling to the surface, manifesting in a insane desire to grab for the Irken in a way that had nothing to do with beating the crap out of him. 

Horrified, Dib took to trying to avoid Zim. Which didn’t go well at all. Once they’d gotten used to the _Nazo_ , it wasn’t very big at all. And Zim wasn’t stupid. He knew when the human was avoiding him and would chase him down and demand why. Which usually led to another fight. Dek eventually told them if they fought one more time he was leaving them on the next asteroid. 

However, that didn’t stop them. They fought again not too long after that, Zim managing to crack Dib’s glasses and bruise his eye. Frustrated and exhausted, Dib made his way to the medical bay to find Midge. She’d simply sighed and cleared the room out before getting to work on Dib’s face. 

“I’ll keep this on the down low,” she told him, applying some sort of cream to Dib’s cheek. “I wouldn’t put it past Dek to make good on his threat, no matter how good of an asset you are.” 

Dib growled. He and Zim had fought over Dek’s most recent lecture, and it had dissolved into a giant blame game before fists went flying. Dib would have kept going but he couldn’t afford too much damage to his glasses. He did only have one pair. 

“Midge, I’m gonna end up killing him,” he snarled. 

Midge gave him a look that plainly said she knew he wouldn’t. “Tensions are high right now. It comes with being in close quarters,” she said, giving a wry smile. “Trust me, if I had a Galactic Crédit for every time Dek and I fought I could retire.” 

Dib frowned. “I seriously doubt the two of you have ever tried to kill each other.” 

Midge hesitated before conceded. "Okay, you got me there." 

Dib sighed. His face throbbed and he still felt frustrated. Why did Zim have to constantly pick fights with him anyway? “He’s such an asshole,” Dib ranted. “With his stupid voice, and his stupid face, and his stupid hips-,” 

“Hips?” Midge interrupted, cocking a brow. 

Dib felt his face heating up. He ignored it in favor of covering his tracks. “Ugh. One day I’m just gonna kick his ass so hard he won't be able to get up to mess with me again!” Dib looked back up to find Midge staring at him. “What?” 

“Nothing,” she said, screwing the cap on the ointment before rising from her seat. “That cream should accelerate the healing of that bruise. It should be gone in the morning.” 

Dib groaned as he remembered he still had to go back to the room he and Zim shared. “I just don’t get it, you know? One minute he acts alright and then out of no where he’s picking a fight with me! I mean, why? What’s the point?” 

He wasn’t really expecting an answer. He was mostly just ranting. But when he noticed how Midge averted her gaze and bit her lip, he became curious. “Do you know something I don’t?” 

“What? No, of course not,” Midge replied dismissively. 

Dib scowled, not believing that for a minute. “Midge, what do you know?” 

“I told you. I don’t know anything.” 

“Come on, Midge, don’t keep me in the dark about this,” Dib nearly pleaded. 

Midge stared at him for a long time, a flash of guilt crossing her features. She sighed roughly as she turned to put away her supplies. Dib sat in silent anticipation for a moment, before Midge turned back around and leaned on the counter. “You’re not going to like it,” she warned. 

Dib frowned. “Trust me, I’ve had people tell me all kinds of things I didn’t like. I’m pretty sure I can handle it.” 

Midge fidgeted and bit her lip again. After another several seconds of silence, she finally spoke. “What do you know about Irken courtship rituals?” 

Dib balked at that question. What the hell did that have to do with anything? “Um…nothing?” 

Midge took deep breath as she jumped to sit on the counter behind her, her feet dangling far off the floor. She looked down at her lap for a moment and tapped her fingers on the counter's edge. She looked uncertain. 

“It’s hard to find files on this sort of thing,” Midge explained, “because the Control Brains keep that sort of information under a strict proverbial lock and key. But, luckily, we’ve managed to dig a few things up over the years, especially with the number of Defects who have managed to escape the Empire.” 

Now Dib was just confused. “What is this about, Midge?” 

Midge didn’t look at him as she continued. “Whenever an Irken finds someone they see as a potential mate, they begin a process called _Salvis_ in an attempt to court them. _Salvis_ translates roughly to “impress”, which is exactly what they try to do. They use any means to gain the other person’s attention. Fighting, ridiculous stunts, showing off their intelligence. Sometimes they even give gifts. It’s basically their equivalent of humans asking each other on dates.” 

Dib continued to stare. “And that is relevant because…?” 

Midge noticeably tensed, looking more nervous than before. “Did you ever figure out who got you that telescope for your birthday?” 

Dib’s brow furrowed, thinking back to if there had been any clues. He had only got to use the telescope a couple times, basically brushing off the anonymity of the gift once he found it safe. But what did that have to do with… 

 Then, his eyes widened when he realized what Midge was saying. “No way.” 

“Yeah,” Midge said slowly. 

“Why the hell would Zim make me a telescope?” 

Midge winced slightly as she spoke the next words. “Because he wants you.” When Dib continued to look confused, Midge elaborated, “Romantically.” 

Dib stared, unable to wrap his head around that bit of information. He found himself going over everything Midge had said. Fighting, stupid stunts, showing off. And no one else had claimed to give him the telescope. Even so, he shook his head. “You…you’ve gotta have this wrong.” 

Midge held up the Orok she wore around her neck. “I’ve been bonded to an Irken hybrid for a couple years now. I’m not wrong.” 

Dib slumped in his seat, trying to register what Midge was saying. He couldn’t though. It was impossible. Insane. “Zim…Zim _likes_ me?” 

Midge shrugged. “Honestly, I can’t tell you how deep his feelings go,” she admitted. “All I know is that he wants you.” 

Dib was still reeling from this information. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to properly process it. It just made no sense. Zim acted insane around him because he _liked_ him? What? 

Midge hopped down from off the counter and sighed. “If you want you can sleep on the couch in the lounge tonight. It should be empty after hours and I can come wake you up before anyone else comes in.” 

Dib just nodded as he followed Midge out of the medical bay. He definitely appreciated the alternative. He needed some time to be alone with his thoughts after a bombshell like that. Not to mention, he felt like facing Zim right now would just be awkward.  

“Well, I think we both could use a drink,” Midge suggested brightly. “Come on.” 

Dib gave her a perplexed look. “You do know I’m not old enough to drink, right?” 

Midge just shrugged. “There’s no drinking age in space.” 

 

000000000000000 

 

Dib didn’t drink very much. Whatever liquor it was that Midge had pulled out, he knew from the first taste that it was ridiculously strong. And since getting drunk had never appealed to him he only had half a glass. Midge, to his surprise, could drink quite a bit before getting drunk. Even so, she had been coherent enough to let Dib know what time she would wake him up in the morning, and to make it back to her room. He made a mental note to never, ever wind up in a drinking game with her. 

Dib groaned, staring up at the ceiling from where he laid on the lounge’s couch. He was sure even if it was as soft as a cloud he would still be restless. He pulled his borrowed blanket up to his chin, unable to stop one thought from repeating over and over in his mind. 

Zim…was trying to court him. 

It was crazy. It was unfathomable. It made absolutely no sense to Dib. They'd been fighting each other since he was eleven years old, constantly trying to destroy each other in a multitude of ways. Dib racked his brain, trying to pin point where the difference between then and now was. There wasn't much, except maybe that Zim's plans in the past two years had dissolved into over the top displays of ridiculousness. 

He lifted his left hand, staring at it through the dim nightlight that came from the wall of the lounge. The night Zim's zombie plan had gone awry had made him so confused. He flexed his fingers. Was...this why Zim had grabbed his hand in that moment? Because he...wanted him? What if Dek hadn't shown up and destroyed the Electro-doomer? What else could have happened? 

Dib's face heated up as images he was no where near prepared for suddenly attacked his mind. Of Zim turning around and grabbing the collar of his shirt desperately, dragging him down to the Irken's level. Of needy ruby eyes holding his gaze captive. Of Zim's mouth coming closer and closer- 

"God dammit!" Dib snarled, pulling a throw pillow to himself and shoving his face into it. He managed to shake the inappropriate visions away. He blamed the minimal alcohol he had drank, his exhaustion and restlessness from being on the ship, the conversation with Midge. He just had to know, didn't he? Curiosity definitely killed the cat. 

Most of all, he blamed Zim. Dib hadn't asked for his ex-nemesis to decide he was worthy of his romantic affections. He hadn’t asked for Zim to pull all those stupid stunts, leaving Dib frustrated and sleep deprived. Why couldn't Zim just be normal and give him some stupid note that said " _Date me, check yes or no?_ ” 

Then again, Zim wasn't human. This probably _was_ normal for Irkens. And at least Dib could take solace in the fact that Zim hadn't just kidnapped him, tied him to one of the tables in his lab and ordered for Dib to be his or suffer. 

He shuddered and shoved his face into the pillow again at the thought of Zim having him tied down. He debated on allowing himself to suffocate, or even if he should just slam his head into the nearby table where his glasses sat. 

In the past year (or maybe longer. Dib really wasn't sure anymore), he'd had some pretty weird feelings about Zim. They were always small and fleeting, and he was always able to make an excuse for them. He’d never had a romantic partner, or even any friends. It almost made sense to latch on to the one person who gave him the time of day. But now there was a whole group of people who didn’t write him off as insane, and he didn't have any weird feelings about any of _them_. 

For the first time in his life, Dib let himself think about what he found attractive. He didn’t feel one way or another about most of the crew, but he didn’t think any of them were ugly (except maybe Milgor, but it was probably the tentacles. And Krugg was more terrifying than ugly, really.) 

He wouldn’t deny that Midge was pretty. He found himself thinking that more now that she no longer wore her disguise, showing off her stark white hair, pale skin with blue speckles, and sharply pointed ears. Dib thought her appearance was interesting, since her species was the first he’d ever met that looked so close to humans. However, as pretty as she was, there wasn’t really an attraction. He didn’t get flustered and stupid if her shirt rode up, nor did he find himself staring at her lithe frame. 

Dek, however, now that he thought about, was a different story. He was tall with lean muscle, and, looking full-blooded Irken, he had smooth, olive green skin. His eyes weren't as big as Zim's, but they were intense, like dark emeralds. He even had a nice voice, deep and always with an authoritative tone. Dib choked, realizing that he found Dek very attractive, indeed. 

Even so, he found himself preferring the glimmer of deadly ruby red orbs, a smaller frame that hid a dangerous strength, and wide hips that Dib hadn’t even known existed until Zim had switch his old Invader uniform for the garb Midge had given them. 

Dib wondered how Midge felt about assisted suicide. It was sounding more and more like a great idea. 

He groaned. He really should have just left well enough alone. But it was too late now. He was already spiraling down this deep, dark hole with no escape. How did this even happen? How long had he been attracted to the one being that constantly infuriated him? 

Dib jumped as the door to the lounge opened. He had been told that no one would come here at this hour. He sincerely hoped it wasn’t Dek. He wasn’t in the mood to explain himself. A part of him thought  that maybe it was Midge, but he had forgotten that fate sort of hated him. 

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, stink-beast?” drawled Zim as he entered the room. 

Dib flopped his head on the arm rest of the couch. Why? Just, why? “What do you want, Zim?” He growled. 

Ruby eyes narrowed at him. Dib’s body involuntarily shuddered. “I want you to stop being a filthy angst worm and come back to bed.” 

Dib sat up, deciding that he might as well take his frustration out on the one person who deserved it. “You’re the one who started that fight! You always start it! And this time you broke my glasses!” 

“That’s your fault for having inferior eyes!” Zim retorted, flopping down on the couch next to Dib  

“No! It’s your fault for being an asshole!” 

Zim glared. “You are the one who has been trying to avoid me, Dib.” Zim said, his tone deadly smooth. “I demand to know why.” 

Dib felt a knot form in his stomach and heat in his cheeks. His fists clenched as he said, “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you're loud and obnoxious and you’re constantly insulting me?” It certainly had nothing to do with the unwelcome urges Dib got around Zim.  

Zim’s glare intensified, his ruby eyes nearly glowing in the dark. He leaned closer, his breath caressing Dib’s face. “You’re lying.” 

Without any warning Dib was thrown back on the couch. He struggled against Zim’s grasp for several seconds before the Irken successfully pinned him. A deep noise emitted from Zim, sounding like it was coming from his chest. It was like a cross between a growl and a purr. Dib’s heart pounded erratically, his breath coming out in pants. 

“Zim-!,” he protested, but it was choked off as Zim leaned closer, rubbing his cheek against Dib’s. Dib felt the Irken’s breath on his ear now, making goosebumps prickle across his arms. He swallowed thickly. 

“You are not allowed to avoid me, Dib,” Zim hissed, his grip on Dib’s wrists unwavering, his legs straddling Dib’s hips. “You are mine-,” 

“No, I'm not,” Dib argued defiantly. “Get that through your thick alien skull!” He gasped as Zim’s grip tightened. It sent a thrill through his entire body. 

“You _are_ mine,” Zim repeated more firmly. His voice was low. Dangerous. Seductive. He pulled back a bit so he could look into Dib’s eyes. Dib’s face and body felt far too hot. “And it’s about time you realized this.” 

Then, Zim’s mouth attacked his. It was forceful, needy. So hard and fast that Dib found it nearly impossible to respond. He scrambled for logical thought, for the part of his brain that told him that this couldn’t happen. That this wasn’t what he wanted. 

He gave up when Zim bit his lip and shoved his long, flexible tongue into his mouth.  

He kissed Zim back, throwing all of his preconceived notions out the window. Dib didn’t know why this felt so fucking good, but at the same time he really didn’t care. He managed to get his wrists free to wrap his arms around the Irken, both of them mauling each other’s mouths with equal vigor. He found the hem of Zim's shirt and, with some maneuvering, managed to pull it off. He felt claws thread through his hair as his hands wandered greedily, relishing in newly exposed skin. It was _ridiculously_ soft. 

He felt Zim tug his hair, pulling his head back forcefully and breaking the kiss. His mouth began assaulting Dib’s neck, his teeth grazing ever so slightly. “Irk , you’re needy,” he teased, whispering against Dib’s skin. 

Dib growled, pushing Zim backwards so that he was on top of him, between his spread legs. Dib thrusted his hips forward roughly, craving friction. Zim gave a wanton gasp, rolling his own hips in return. 

“You started this,” Dib told him. His voice didn’t sound like his own. It was husky and full of want. His body was on fire. 

“You’re right,” Zim admitted, smirking evilly as he pulled Dib down for another scorching kiss. Dib felt claws trail under his shirt, digging in slightly as their movements became frantic. Dib moaned into Zim's mouth. 

Zim broke away to speak against Dib’s lips. “Now finish it.” He ordered.  

Dib didn’t need to be told twice. He tore off his own shirt and threw it haphazardly before kissing Zim once more. Fuck the consequences. Fuck the fact that just anyone could walk into the lounge right now. Fuck all of it. He wanted Zim. And he was going to have him. 

“Dib…” Zim gasped out as Dib’s mouth licked and sucked at his neck. He traveled lower, biting at his collar bone. 

“Dib…” His tone was higher, imploring. It spurred Dib lower, his tongue trailing along Zim's belly. “Dib…” 

Dib reached for the waistband of Zim’s pants and- 

“Dib!” 

Dib tumbled to the floor, taking his blanket with him. He landed in a tangled heap, trying to open his eyes. The lounge was suddenly very bright and blurry, but Dib managed to make out the white haired female hovering above him. 

“Come on, you gotta get up,” Midge told him. “The rest of the crew will be up soon, and you gotta shower and change.” 

Dib blinked again, struggling to gain his bearings. He ran his fingers through his hair, finding it sweaty. He picked himself off the floor and retrieved his cracked glasses from the nearby table. His mind buzzed, trying to figure out what was going on before his thoughts came to a screeching halt. 

A dream. 

It had been a dream. 

A dream were he had almost had sex with the annoying , volatile alien that had plagued him since he was eleven years old. 

And he hadn’t been reluctant either, oh no. He had been a very willing participant. 

Well…there was really no denying it now, was there? He was most _definitely_ attracted to Zim. 

Before the gravity of the situation could fully crash over him like a tsunami, Midge tossed something at him. He stumbled a bit as he barely caught it. Upon further inspection, he found it to be a rather large drawstring bag. He looked up to give Midge a questioning look, finding the girl averting her gaze and biting her lip. “What?” he asked. 

Midge shuffled her feet. “You, uh…might wanna hold that bag in front of your crotch.” 

Dib looked down, his face burning fiercely as he realized what Midge was talking about and took her advice. Apparently his dream had caused a very noticeable problem. These stupid pants left little to the imagination. 

Midge turned on her heel and began to walk out, Dib not too far behind. They walked in an awkward silence before Midge looked up and asked, “Uh…do you-,” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Dib told her before she could finish. 

Midge just nodded. “Okay,” she said. 

Dib thought it best to change the subject. "What's in here anyway?" He asked, indicating the bag. 

"Your new uniform," she replied. "Yours and Zim's will be a little different from ours, since you'll be enrolled in Polaris Academy's Accelerated Training Program. Once you've completed that, you'll get straight up Galactic Fleet uniforms." 

Dib looked down at the black bag. He felt a flutter of excitement. "Wait...are we already there?" 

"We will be very soon," Midge replied brightly. "Go get cleaned up and changed. I'll come grab you in a bit." 

Dib nodded and made his way to the showers. Thankfully his unwelcomed erection had mostly faded, and keeping the cleansing solution on a low temperature helped immensely. After he was sufficiently clean, he dried off and began digging through the bag Midge had given him. After putting on the provided under garments, he moved on to the pants and long sleeve shirt. They were both made of a light material, the texture reminding Dib of reptilian scales. They were both charcoal, the shirt having a zipper down the middle, and a black design that sort of looked like a large star. The pants had a pinstripe on the outside of either leg that was also black. There was even a pair of boots in the bag, a very nice pair with studded details and shiny, silver buckles. 

Once Dib had the full uniform on, zipping the shirt all the way up to under his chin, he took a look at himself in the large mirror outside the showers. He tried to no avail to tame his hair before shaking his head. His hair was always a lost cause. However, he found himself admiring the way the uniform looked. It actually looked really cool. _He_ looked really cool. 

Reveling in his sudden confidence boost, Dib packed his dirty clothes in the drawstring bag and made his way out of the showers. He doubled back a bit to throw the bag onto his bed, forgetting momentarily that he still shared that room with one other person. 

"So you finally return, Earth-stink?" Zim growled, folding his arms as Dib entered the room. "Are you done being a petulant smeet?" 

Dib wanted to retort. He really did. He had full list of insults he wanted to throw at the Irken, but they had all died horrible, sudden deaths at the sight before him. Zim was already in his uniform, one identical to the one Dib wore. The stretchy material clung to Zim, hugging every single curve he had. Dib's heart palpitated, wanting so many things at once. Things that all had to do with Zim. 

"Hello?! Dib-beast! Has your brain been eaten by mutant vloo worms?! I am TALKING to YOU!" Zim ranted, stomping over and tugging at Dib's hair harshly. Dib winced, effectively snapping out of his daze. 

"Ouch, you jerk!" Dib yelped, slapping Zim's hand away. "What the hell was that for?!" 

"Your brain was clearly frozen and needed a reboot!" Zim replied, as if that was the obvious answer. 

Dib glared, clenching his fists at his sides. "Why can't you just tap my shoulder like a normal person." 

"Tch. Stop whining. You act like I ripped your hair out," Zim grumbled. 

Dib made to reply that he was going to rip Zim's antennae out of his stupid head, but Midge appeared in the doorway. "There you are," she said, her gaze darting between the two boys. “Oh. Well, I guess that saves me some trouble.” She nodded her head. “Come on, you two.” 

Dib and Zim followed her out, walking on either side of the Lazurothian. Dib noticed what Midge had meant about their uniforms being different. Midge's was a dark, smoky blue instead of charcoal, but the black star design and pin stripes were the same. Along the turtleneck of her shirt was a tiny, gold emblem that vaguely resembled a strand of DNA. He wondered if it had to do with Midge being a doctor. 

"What is the meaning of this, Midge-weasel?" Zim demanded. 

"I figured you'd wanna get a look at Polaris before we land," she replied easily as they made their way to the bridge. She glanced at the two of them before giving an approving nod. "Uniforms suit the two of you, by the way." 

Dib rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks." 

"Of course," Zim bragged. "Zim looks good in everything." 

Midge laughed. "I'm sure." 

They entered the bridge, facing out toward the large front window. Dib's jaw dropped at the sight. The space station looked like a mini-planet. It was round and sort of a light blue color. Two large rings surrounded it, making an X from Dib's perspective. "What are the rings for?" He asked. 

"They imitate day and night cycles," Midge replied. "Right now the lights are on. During the night cycle, they turn off and you're able to see every single star." 

Dib continued to stare, fascinated and excited all at once. This was it. This was the place he would train and study so he could help Team Nebula. Where he could learn things that he had never had the chance to learn before. Where he would become stronger…better... 

Dib felt a smirk creep across his face. He couldn't wait to get started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I'm a terrible person.


	12. Chapter 12

They docked in front a huge building, nestling between two other ships. Dib finally got a comparison of just how small the _Nazo_ really was. He almost felt bad for Dek. It didn't seem like the hybrid really cared though. He held his head high as he exited the ship, leading the crew out. Dib could see a few others in Galactic Fleet uniforms  as they made their way out of the hanger. 

Suddenly, two other aliens approached their group. They were wearing black uniforms that had bits of armor here and there. Dib could only assume they were some sort of guards. He didn’t like the way they were looking at Zim and Dek. 

“Good day, gents,” Dek said, his tone neutral. 

One of the guards scowled. “You and you’re Imperial friend is gonna have to come with us,” he said. 

“I’m not going anywhere with the likes of you!” Zim shouted. 

“Zim!” Dib warned. 

Dek gave the two of them a reprimanding look, before he pulled out a stack of papers. He nearly flung them at the guards. “You’ll find everything to be in order,” he said calmly. The guards looked irritated as they looked over the papers. “Now, if that is all, Vice Admiral Adalet is expecting us.” 

The guards both looked up at that, before exchanging scowls. They handed Dek back his papers, fixing him with a hateful stare. “Keep your subordinates in line.” 

Dek merely nodded as he put the papers away. “Will do. Have a nice day.” 

The guards merely scoffed as they stomped off. 

“What was that about?” Dib asked. 

The rest of the crew exchanged looks before Midge finally answered. “People don’t have a very good view of Irkens right now,” she explained. “That’s the first time we’ve ever been stopped at the gate, though.” 

“As this whole thing escalates the worse it’s going to get,” Dek said bitterly. “The sooner we can finish it the better.” 

Dib frowned, sparing a glance over at Zim. If the Irken was concerned about this, he didn’t show it. Dib, however, found himself worried. Would that reaction be the norm while they were here on Polaris? 

As they made their way out of the hanger, most them went their separate ways, leaving just Midge, Dek, Dib and Zim. Gir was there as well, riding on Zim’s shoulder. Dib's eyes darted left and right, taking in everything. There were so many people (aliens) running back and forth along the terminal. Even in his wildest dreams, he couldn't have imagined all the different species he was seeing now. Some were super tall, some super short. Some had horns, spikes or spines. There were even some similar to him and Midge, looking almost human. He felt like a kid going to a toy store for the first time. 

However, he also noticed how people would stop and stare at them as they walked by, sometimes even whispering amongst themselves. Dib couldn’t help but scowl. He could understand people having issues with the Irken Empire, but Zim was wearing the same uniform as him, and Dek was a Captain in the Galactic Fleet. Surely they could figure out that they weren’t threats. 

He continued looking around before he was interrupted by a hard swat to the back of his head. He yelped loudly, reaching up to rub the sore spot as he glowered at the perpetrator. "Zim, what the hell?!" 

"Stop letting your horrible eyes wander all over the place, human!" Zim ordered angrily. "Not all of them appreciate your monkey stare!" 

"I'll look wherever I want!" Dib argued. 

Zim snarled, "Fine! But when that Rexillian comes to pummel you for staring don't come crying to me!" 

Dib frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?" 

"The life form with the black, scaly skin and tail," Zim explained grumpily. As Dib turned to look, Zim grabbed him by the hair and forced his head forward. "I said don't look, you idiot!" 

"Zim!" protested Dib, fumbling to pull the Irken's claws from his hair. Even though it hurt, it brought up memories of the dream he'd had last night, making him flush against his will. 

Luckily, Zim finally let go, swatting Dib's hands in retaliation. He folded his arms moodily. "Rexillians are an extremely dominant people. If they catch even the smallest glimpse from another person they see is as a challenge." 

Dib frowned, annoyed that it sounded like Zim had made a valid argument. Reluctantly, he took the advice, as they exited the port. 

They came out to a busy street, and Dib found himself gaping all over again. The place was one big city,  with buildings that towered so high that Dib had to crane his head to get a good look. He could see what looked like restaurants and shops lined up on either side. There were random bushes and trees dotting several places, sticking out with their bright, neon colors and strange shapes. It was amazing. 

They hopped on some vehicle that looked like a hovering bus, only there was no top or offensive graffiti. It also moved faster, but some how managed to do so without causing the passengers to be jostled around. Gir gave a shriek of excitement. Dib continued to observe his surroundings, drinking everything in.  

The vessel came to a stop in front of another large building. It was jet black, with shiny windows that were tinted light blue. A huge courtyard was laid out in front of it, along with a large, stone sign that read _Polaris_ _Academy_. 

"Here we are," Midge said brightly as the four of them exited the bus.  

As they made their way up the walkway, Dib noticed several people scurrying around. They were all in uniforms similar to his and Zim's, but instead of being the charcoal color they were a lighter gray. Some of them stared just as badly as the people back at the port, even going as far as to look fearful, or even loathing. 

They entered the building, finding a large lobby with an off-white tile floor. There was a front desk with several receptionists, all either typing or chattering through some headsets. They bypassed them, heading toward the back wall where Dib could see a row of elevators. 

"So, where are we going?" Dib asked as the four of them entered. Dek pulled a key card from him shirt pocket and slid it into the slot above the elevator buttons. He then hit the button for the highest floor. 

“To see Vice Admiral Adalet,” explained Dek. “Also known as the Dean of Polaris Academy. And our Director.” 

"Why?" Dib asked curiously. 

Dek shrugged. "She wants to meet the two of you. I think she finds your case interesting. Or she wants to lay down the law. You two are kind of unpredictable." 

"Unpredictable?" said Dib indignantly. 

"I refuse to adhere to any law this director person wishes to lay down!" Zim remarked stubbornly. 

Midge stared at him. "Um...she's kind of your boss now-," 

"You LIE!" 

Dib winced. "Zim, you're right by my ear. Could you keep your volume to a dull roar?" 

"I WILL BE AS LOUD AS I WANT, EARTH-SMELL!" shrieked Zim. 

"I was asking nicely!" Dib hollered. 

"Like I would do anything simply because you ask nicely!" 

Dek sighed heavily as the two former enemies continued to bicker. He turned to Midge. "This is entirely your fault." 

Midge looked only mildly apologetic. "I know." 

Dib and Zim managed to calm down by the time they got to the Directors office (mostly because Dek pulled them apart and threatened them with a one way trip through a black hole.) Dib continued to glare at Zim heatedly. He found himself even more irritated with the Irken now that he knew he was (unfortunately) attracted to him. It was the stupid lizard’s fault, after all. 

The Director's office was at the end of a long hall and marked by a shiny black door. Dek knocked on it three times, and a regal, feminine voice called, "Enter," from the other side. Unlike the other doors Dib had encounter, which slid from the right, this one parted in the middle as it slid open. The office within was huge, and the entire back wall was just one large window. Dib could see even more skyscrapers and a bird's eye view of the courtyard below. 

A very tall alien was standing at the window, turning around to face them. She had pale yellow skin that had thin, dark orange stripes along the frame of her face and on her hands. She had no hair, but she had two ears that almost looked barbed, and she was around Dek's height. She wore a greyish-blue gown that showed off the tops of her shoulders, flowing down to pool at the floor. A ribbon was tied around her throat, with a broach in the center that had the same star symbol they all wore on their chests. 

As they entered, Midge and Dek stood at attention and brought their hands to their foreheads in salute. Midge nudged Dib insistently, so he mimicked the action rather awkwardly. Dib then nudge Zim, who merely elbowed him in the ribs. They glared at each other. 

"Good day, Director Adalet," Dek greeted. 

"At ease, Agents," Adalet said, sounding amused. She stepped forward, nearly gliding across the floor. She eyed each of them individually with sharp eyes the shade of a tangerine. Her eyes lingered on Dib and Zim for a moment, before she nodded to the two senior agents. "You two can step back." 

Dek and Midge did as they were told, leaving Dib, Zim and Director Adalet standing in the middle of the room. Dib suddenly felt very nervous, and did his best not to fidget. Zim, on the other hand, folded his arms, looking disinterested as his antennae twitched in irritation. Dib mentally sighed. Zim was such a brat. 

Adalet's eyes then settled on Dib, and he couldn't help but gulp. He didn't like the feeling of being examined. "You have quite a reputation, Dib Membrane of Earth," she remarked. She didn't sound impressed. She was just merely making a statement. 

"Uh...I do?" Dib asked nervously. He looked over his shoulder at Midge. She gave him an encouraging smile. 

Adalet chortled softly. "I'm sure Captain Dek and Dr. Cuppari have told you about your file," she said, walking back over to her desk to lean against it. "By the way, if you ever need anyone to write your biography, I'm sure Dr. Cuppari won't mind." 

Dib heard Dek chuckle behind him and he turned to see Midge blushing dark blue. He snorted in amusement. 

"My point is, you have long list of accomplishments in that file," Adalet continued. "And you started as an adolescent at that." 

Dib shifted and rubbed the back of his neck. It was still so weird to hear people talk about him so highly. "Um...okay." He felt like an idiot as soon as the words left his mouth. 

"I'm saying I'm glad that you're here," she explained with a smile. "And I expect nothing less than great things from you." 

Dib felt his heart jolt. He'd had people expect things from him before, but it was always things he had no interest in. This, though...it finally hit him for the first time that people had faith in him. That they believed in him. "I'll try not to disappoint," he said, feeling a surge of confidence. 

Adalet's smile widened and she nodded in return. Her gaze switched over to Zim. Dib glance at him, as well, finding it difficult to read his expression. But he noticed the lowering of antennae, a move Zim only did if he felt particularly irritated. 

"Invader Zim," Adalet said, her tone changing as she folded her arms. "Or should I say ex-Invader at this point." Zim set his jaw, keeping his expression neutral. "The only reason you are standing before me is at Dr. Cuppari's insistence. As I'm sure you know, you're file contains many things that in the Galactic Alliance would put you in prison for the rest of your life. Others would see you as incompetent, or even dangerous." 

Zim's eyes narrowed, before a strange smile curled across his face. "I _am_ an unstoppable death machine," he said casually. 

Dek growled from behind them, and Midge sighed loudly. Dib continued to watch silently, ready to step in if Zim did something stupid. 

Surprisingly, Adalet snorted. "Why is it every time I meet an Irken they have an ego the size of the Gargantour Galaxy?" She stated as she shook her head. 

"I resent that remark," Dek said petulantly. 

Adalet smirked. "You mean you represent that remark?" Midge giggled loudly, and Dib found a smile tugging at his lips. Adalet turned back to Zim. "However, I'm actually quite surprised that you were convinced to be here. From what I had gathered, your loyalty to the Empire was unwavering until recently. Yet, here you are, your tracker deactivated, with all ties cut to your leaders." 

"Former leaders," Zim corrected. 

“Yeah!” added Gir, coming to his master’s aid. 

Adalet tilted her head, sparing Gir a glance for merely a moment. She looked extremely interested. "I see," she said. "Forgive me if I find it hard to believe you are here to simply liberate your people and the other planets in the Empire’s hold. So tell me, why are you here?" 

Dib had to admit, he was curious about this as well. It did seem like a lot to go through simply because Dib had goaded him. His heart beat sped up suddenly and he felt a stinging warmth in his cheeks, wondering if it had anything to do with the whole trying to court him thing. Even so...it seemed a bit extreme. 

"Zim has his reasons," Zim replied vaguely, his gaze never faltering from Adalet's. Dib had to admit, he really did admire Zim's confidence. 

"And those reasons would be?" Adalet asked, pressing forward. 

Zim narrowed his eyes. "None of you business." 

"Zim!" Dek scolded. 

"It's quite alright, Captain," Adalet said dismissively. "I'm more apt to trust an Irken with issues with authority than one that blindly follows." She smiled oddly. "I assume your reasons are quite personal, correct?" 

“Masta’s here because-,” 

“Hush, Gir!” Zim growled. 

“Aww,” Gir whined, pouting. 

Dib continued to fight the horrible blush in his cheeks. He knew he was at least one of the reasons that Zim was here, and he still wasn't sure how to feel about that. 

“I find your SIR unit quite…untraditional,” remarked Adalet, eyeing Gir curiously. “Tak’s was always so quiet and subdued, from what I’ve heard.” 

Zim glared. “Tak’s SIR unit isn’t fit to polish Gir’s filthy feet,” he stated firmly. Dib snorted. Zim complained about Gir frequently, but it was endearing to see him be so protective. 

“I LIKE MONKEYS!” Gir suddenly screamed, making Dib wince. He fixed Adalet with his big, cyan eyes. “Do you like monkeys?” 

Adalet blinked. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one,” she replied uncertainly. 

“Mary’s planet’s full or ‘em!” Gir exclaimed. “Masta’ even calls him a monkey sometimes.” He turned to Dib. “Is yous a monkey, Mary?” 

“Er…” was all Dib could say. He couldn’t look at the dumbstruck look of the Director’s face. He knew he would burst into laughter, and that probably wouldn’t bode well for him. 

“…Interesting," Adalet said, beginning to shake off her confusion. She fixed Zim with a stern expression. "To get back on topic, I will make this perfectly clear. The last Irken recruit Dek tried to bring in betrayed us horribly. Luckily, she never made it to Polaris, and therefore never learned where headquarters is." Her expression became dangerous. "I cannot afford anymore deceit. If I suspect for even a moment that you are going to go crying back to your 'former' leaders-," Zim gave a furious snarl - "you will wish you never left Foodcourtia." 

Zim shook with the force of his rage. He wanted to react violently. How dare this horrible Director person speak to him so?! He had no plans to retract his agreement with Team Nebula, and he definitely wasn't about to do anything that took him away from the number one reason he was here. And even if he wanted to leave, going back to Irk was suicide. He'd be captured in seconds and executed soon after. 

"I can assure you, _Director_ ," Zim ground out, "that I have no intention of doing such a thing." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "My reasons for being here...they outweigh everything else." They really did. 

Adalet's expression became curious. "Is that so?" 

"Yes," replied Zim firmly. Then he smirk. "Besides, perhaps with my help, you will actually stand a chance at success." 

Adalet stared for a long time before suddenly chortling. She looked up at Dib. "Is he always this interesting?" 

Dib felt his receding blush return ten fold. Yes, Zim was always interesting. Loud, annoying, infuriating, violent and never, ever boring. However, Dib settled for saying, "That's one word for it." 

"There is one word for your face, Dib-stink!" shouted Zim. "And it is HORRIBLE!" 

Dib just rolled his eyes. When he looked back at Adalet, her gaze was focused back on him. "Are you aware that your lenses are damaged?" she asked. 

Dib bit his lip, not daring to turn around and look at Dek and Midge. Midge, of course, knew the real cause of the crack, as did Zim. However, Dib was in no mood to be nagged, so he really didn't want Dek getting wind of it. "Yeah. I, uh, accidently slept with them on and rolled over on them." He felt those ruby eyes on him immediately. He resisted the urge to meet them. 

Adalet hummed, looking over at Dek. "Does he have an appointment to correct his vision?" she asked. 

"We'll be making the arrangements later today, Director," answered Dek. 

Dib felt the bottom of his stomach fall out. He knew it was silly, but his glasses had always been a part of him. He'd tried contacts once, and they just didn't feel right. He hadn't looked like himself. His glasses were like his trench coat, something he'd always had that had been a part of who he was. And he'd already lost his trench coat... 

"Good, good," said Adalet, looking over Dib and Zim one more time. That odd smile appeared on her face again. "I have no doubt that your careers with Team Nebula will be nothing short of compelling." 

This time, Dib did look at Zim. Zim looked up and caught his gaze. Neither of them said anything, but something in this moment felt different. It felt...official. From this moment on, after they walked out of this office, there would be no denying they were comrades.  

Dib's heart pounded. Years of battles for Earth, years of fights in space, years of sneaking and spying, it all ended now. Today they took a step onto a new path, neither of them unable to predict where it could possibly lead. 

Dib felt himself smile. He didn't mind at all. 

At seeing that soft sincere smile on Dib's face, Zim turned away quickly. His squeedlyspooch went haywire, pounding insanely, and his face felt hot. It made him so angry that just a little gesture could make him act so stupidly. 

As they left the office, Dib quickened his strides to walk beside Dek. "Hey, um, about my glasses..." 

Dek squinted an eye at him. "Yes?" 

"Well," Dib stammered. "I was wondering...there's no way you can just fix them and I can keep them?" 

Dek's expression softened the tiniest bit. "This Academy has the best doctors in the universe on staff. Midge is one of them. You don’t have to be scared." 

Dib frowned. "I'm not scared." 

Midge patted his shoulder. "Look, Dib, in an actual battle, you're glasses are going to do you no good," she explained. "I’m sorry, but they gotta go." 

Zim watched this exchange with great interest, seeing the disappointed look on Dib's face. He pondered for a moment. He knew that Midge and Dek had a point. Dib's glasses really would just get in the way. But, he couldn't help the tug in his gut. His brow furrowed in thought for a moment, before the most brilliant idea occurred to him. Not only would he help Dib see, he would do it with something better than Dib's inferior corrective lenses. 

And if it just happened to serve Zim's own agenda along the way, well, that was just a bonus. 

"So what's next?" Dib asked as the four of them reentered the elevator, going down this time. He did his best not to sound disappointed about the previous conversation. He didn't like it, but he guessed he could learn to live without his glasses just like he had his trench coat. 

"Next," Dek replied, leading the way down a wide corridor, "we see what we're working with." 

"Eh?" Zim grunted. 

"He means we're gonna see what the two of you can do so we know what to work on in training," Midge explained. "Along with your daily physical training and your classes, you'll be having weekly training sessions with Dek and I." She grinned. "You should be excited. Not everyone gets personally trained by the Captain of Team Nebula and the First Officer." 

"That's because no one gets recruited by the Captain of Team Nebula and the First Officer,” Dek pointed out. "And it's the responsibility of recruiters to make sure their newbies are properly trained. We also have team training sessions once a month. Luckily, we won't be having one for a while now. This last mission was pretty extensive, as I'm sure you can imagine." 

They entered a large room with a shiny, gray floor. It sort of reminded Dib of his high school gymnasium, except there were no bleachers lining the walls. There were some other small groups in here, appearing to be training as well. They received more of those distasteful stares. Dib felt hints of anger bubble in his chest. 

They came to a large empty space toward the back. Dek scanned the area for a moment before turning to Dib and Zim with folded arms. He smirked. "Well, here's your chance." 

Dib rose a brow and exchanged confused looks with Zim. "Chance for what?" Dib asked. 

"Your chance to get all your frustrations out," Dek explained. "You two like to fight, right? Well, I'm giving you permission." 

Dib gaped. Zim gave the hybrid a suspicious look. "What's the catch?" asked Zim. 

"No catch," Dek said, taking a step back. Midge came over and stood beside him, looking excited. "Well, you can't kill each other. But besides that, have at it." 

Midge giggled and said something to Dek in a language that sounded much softer than Irken. Dib wondered if it was her native tongue. Dek nudge her, but he was chuckling lightly. Zim scowled deeply. "The two of you do realize that I have a translator in my PAK, right?" He mentioned. "I can understand any language as soon as it's spoken." 

Dek and Midge had the decency to look sheepish. Dib frowned, disliking being left out. "What did she say?" 

"Nothing that concerns you, stink-brain!" Zim shouted.  

Dib didn't miss how Zim’s cheeks gained a slight pink hue. 

Which sort of made Dib think it did concern him. 

"Whatever," Dib replied, rolling his eyes. "You probably don't know, anyway." 

"What?!" Zim shrieked indignantly. "I just said I have a translator in my PAK! I understood that filthy snow-child perfectly!" 

"Yeah," Dib teased, figuring since they were being given permission to fight, he might as well have fun. "I bet it's broken though. You fail so hard at English." 

Zim glowered, his antennae flattening against his head. "You fail at not being crazy!" He yelled. 

"You fail at invading," Dib retorted. 

"Take that back, you giant-headed monkey!" 

Dib smirked. "Make me." 

Zim lunged, tackling Dib to the ground with a hard thud. Dib gained his bearings quickly, kicking Zim off and standing back up. Zim was on his feet just as quickly, fist swinging swiftly toward Dib's face. Dib blocked it, countering with a punch of his own to Zim's gut. The Irken caught his fist in his other hand. Their gazes met. Zim smirked deviously. 

Using his grip on Dib's wrist, he threw the human to floor. Dib grunted with the impact, pushing his glasses up his nose. He could sort of see what Midge and Dek were saying now. His glasses were somewhat of a hindrance. 

"Face it, Dib-beast," taunted Zim as Dib got back to his feet. "You will never be a match for me." 

Dib adjusted his stance. "We'll see about that," he replied. He'd been fighting Zim for years. He knew his strengths and his weaknesses. He also knew the best way to gain the advantage was to get Zim on his back so he couldn't bring his PAK legs out. But Zim was ridiculously strong for his size. Keeping him down was always the issue. 

They came at each other again, attacking and blocking with an expertise that only came with years of fighting each other. Just when it would seem like one would come out the victor, the other turned the tables, getting back up and fighting back twice as hard. The other training groups in the large room had stopped what they were doing to watch, in awe at the strange creature that could hold his own against a former Irken Invader. 

Finally, Dib got Zim on the ground, his PAK trapped against the floor. He pinned the Irken's wrists on either side of his head, breathing heavily. Zim gave him a withering look, struggling against the human's grip. Dib leaned in, trying to no avail to ignore the burning heat coursing through his veins. He kept himself level, however. He would not give into these impulses. He would not. 

"Yield," he ordered, hovering over Zim. 

Then, a tantalizing smirk slid across Zim's features. In one quick move Zim switched their positions, pinning Dib down and sitting on top of him. Dib swallowed thickly, trying to keep his expression from giving anything away. 

Then, Zim leaned closer, his cool breath caressing Dib's face. Memories of last night’s dream began flashing through his mind, along with visions of what could have happened if he hadn't woken up. The urge to give in increased exponentially, the crowd surrounding them forgotten. All Dib could see right now was glinting ruby eyes staring down at him. 

“Make me,” Zim purred with a hint of mocking. A surge of desire rushed through Dib. Oh, how he _wanted_ to make him. 

"Alright, that's enough," Dek called out, breaking the spell that Dib had been under. Zim pulled away, releasing Dib's hands and getting to his feet. Dib sat up and dusted himself off for a moment. When he looked up, Zim had his hand stretched out, offering to help him up. He caught Zim's gaze, finding his eyes narrowing insistently. Dib debated on questioning the Irken's motives, but then decided against it. Something about Zim's stance, the look in his eyes, told Dib that this gesture was genuine. 

And where others might have seen it as such a tiny gesture, it spoke volumes to the two rivals as Dib took his hand and Zim helped him to his feet. 

"So...we got some work to do," Dek said, folding his arms. "You two are very skilled fighters, but you've got a lot of room for improvement. Dib, you're observation skills are superb. You're very good at pin pointing your opponent’s weakness and taking advantage. However, we've gotta get you stronger, faster. Not every Irken is going to be that much shorter than you." 

"Hey!" Zim hollered. 

"As for you Zim," Dek continued, ignoring the outburst. "Years of training have served you well. However, you're going to have to learn new combat techniques. Irkens in the Empire are going to expect an Irken to fight like an Irken. We mean to teach you some fighting styles to throw them off." 

Zim considered this. It made sense. All Irkens were taught to fight one way. It would come as a surprise if they came across one of their own kind that didn't fight the same. And the element of surprise was always advantageous. 

"Okay, then," Dek said, looking over at Midge. "You ready to take it from here?" 

Midge grinned broadly. "Hell yeah. I get the fun part." 

"Just don't go too crazy," he told her teasingly. "We have a budget after all." 

"When have I ever gone over budget?" asked Midge, her hands going to her hips. 

"Several times," replied Dek. "So many I can't even name them all." 

"How is it you don't have a PAK but your memory is still annoyingly flawless?" 

Dek smirked. "Maybe I just take advantage of your terrible one." He turned to Dib and Zim and pulled out two objects from his back pockets. “These are your communicators,” he told them, handing the devices over. “We’ll be sending you a message about the next Team training session. Consider this your first personal training session, so expect another in seven days time. We will also be having Team meetings, which you two will be involved in once your three months of training are up.” He folded his arms. “Basically, you’re to keep those on your persons at all times. If you lose it or it gets broken, it’s coming out of your pay.” 

Dib's eyes widened. "We get paid?" 

"Duh!" Midge said. "How else are you going to buy your snacks and other stuff the Galactic Fleet doesn't provide? Your members now. Probationary, but still, for the time being this is your job.” 

Dek snorted, walking over to Midge and tapping her nose. He said something in Irken, his tone almost sweet. Dib wasn’t even aware that Irken _could_ sound sweet. Midge flushed bright blue and smiled, replying something soft in the same language. Dek then turned to Dib and Zim as he walked away. "Behave," he told them, turning to Midge once more.  "All of you." 

"You have no faith in me," Midge complained with a pout. 

"Can you blame me?" Dek asked, striding off toward the exit. Once he was gone Midge gave the two rookies a bright expression. 

“You two are disgusting,” Zim remarked with a grimace. 

“Don’t be jealous,” replied Midge teasingly. 

Dib rolled his eyes, asking, "What now?" 

Midge revealed a thin black piece of plastic that she held between her two fingers. A gold star like the symbol on their chests was embossed on it. It sort of looked like a credit card. "Now," she said with a grin. "We go shopping."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, there is a made up slur used in this chapter.

Dib had never really liked shopping. It had always seemed like such a chore, so he always just picked clothes that were similar to ones he already had. However, that sort of wasn’t an option in this situation. The shops that Midge drug them to had _sort_ _of_ similar clothing, but they certainly weren’t t-shirts and jeans. Midge was a huge help, though. She was kind of pushy for Dib to try things on, but she found him quite a few outfits that he was happy with. 

He couldn’t help but be disappointed at the lack of trench coats, though. 

However, what probably made the trip worth it was watching Zim. The Irken was apparently having a great time. He tried on outfit after outfit, strutting around like a peacock. Dib noticed that many of them were similar to what Zim wore before - long, dress-like tunics and black leggings. The distinct difference, however, was that they all hugged his frame much more closely.  

Dib groaned internally. He needed to get this under control. He didn’t need this. He didn’t like the fact that he was attracted to Zim. He had been perfectly fine with the two of them becoming comrades, but this complicated things. He knew Zim liked him, but he wasn’t sure how far that went, and in all honesty, Dib wasn’t sure he felt the same way. The last thing he needed was his stupid impulses to get in the way and fuck up their still rocky companionship. 

Not to mention, there were more important things at hand… 

After their shopping spree, Midge led them back to the Academy, taking them to a building that was behind the main one. Once inside, Dib realized they were dormitories. They took a couple flights of stairs to the third floor and made their way to a room at the end of the hall. Midge sat one of the bags down and pulled a key card from her back pocket. She slid it in the slot and waited for it to beep. The door slid open. 

“Most new students have to work their way up to the Third Year dorms,” Midge said, picking up the bag and entering the room. “But, considering you two are special cases, you get the good stuff earlier than most.” 

The dorm was bigger than expected. They had entered a common room of sorts, with a make shift living area and a tiny kitchen over to the side. A large monitor hung on the front wall in front of a brown couch. Dib could see three doors, two to the left and one on the right. There was a small window at the back wall, letting in some light. 

Midge tossed the bags in her hands on the couch in the middle of the room, and turned around to face to two boys. “Alright, so you got your bedrooms over there,” Midge explained, pointing to the two doors on the left. “And your bathroom’s over there,” she indicated the one door on the right. “The kitchenette thingy is useful for snacks or if you don’t feel like eating Academy food, but I don’t imagine the two of you using it very often.” Dib didn’t even bother to argue. His idea of cooking was microwaving pizza rolls.  

“They offer breakfast around O-nine-hundred hours. Once you start your classes you'll have your physical training beforehand, though. On school days and during training sessions you’ll be expected to wear your uniforms unless otherwise told. Off days, however,” she patted the bags, “you’ll thank me. You have Orientation tomorrow. They’ll take you on a tour of the whole campus and let you know the ground rules. Matsuri usually handles those so you’ll see a friendly face.” She looked at her wrist watch. “Well, dinner’s in an hour. Don’t hesitate to call me or Dek if you need anything. Especially if you, uh…get some backlash.” 

“Backlash?” Dib asked, not liking the sound of that. 

Midge bit her lip. “Other students tend to get…kind of rude toward those put into the Accelerated Training Program,” she explained. “They know it’s because they’ve been especially picked to be in the Galactic Fleet. The students here train for years to get accepted, so they sort of get upset when they see newbies who got in without ‘doing all the hard work.’” She made a distasteful face and glanced at Zim. “It doesn’t help that not everyone’s gonna be okay with a former Invader being here.” 

“We’ll be fine,” Zim spat, disliking that the Midge was so worried about them. She acted like he and Dib hadn’t had their share of animosity before. 

Dib frowned. He wasn’t sure what was making him more annoyed: the fact that these people automatically thought he didn’t deserve to be here, or that they were going to treat them differently simply because they were an Irken and some strange creature they had never seen before. 

But, he agreed with Zim. They would be fine. They both had suffered being alone and hated and overall treated like crap. It was most definitely nothing new. 

Dib let out a harsh breath from his nose. _Great, right back where we started._  

 

00000000000000000000 

 

Dib woke up the next morning to a loud little robot jumping on his bed. 

“Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,” Gir chanted happily. “One fell off and HE ESPLODED EVERYWHERE!” 

Dib buried his face deeper into his pillow. It was official. His life sucked. 

But it could get so much worse. 

“Dib-beast!” Zim shouted from the doorway of Dib’s bedroom. Dib had been so glad for the two of them to have separate bedrooms, but it already seemed moot. Zim had no sense of decency. He hadn’t even knocked on Dib’s door. “You need to get your filthy self up! We must go to that stupid orientation thingy.” 

Dib groaned. “If it’s so stupid, why do you want to go?” 

“I don’t!” retorted Zim. “But you need to be there or you’re going to look more stupid than you already will!” 

“Do you ever listen to yourself when you talk?” 

“You’ll get your giant cranium lost and be late to all your classes!” Zim clarified. “You’ll look even more incompetent! And stupid!” 

“I can’t even count how many times you’ve said stupid. Expand your vocabulary and let me sleep.” 

Zim growled, having zero intention of allowing that. He stomped over to the human’s bed and grabbed Dib by the ankles, tugging him out. 

Dib grunted and groaned at being thrown to the floor, clinging to his blanket for dear life. He began to shout as Zim dragged him out the door. “Let go of me, you lizard!” 

“You will get up and make yourself decent or I will throw you out the window!” Zim roared, dropping the human’s lower half. He smirked wickedly. “And wouldn’t that be embarrassing?” 

Dib looked down, remembering that he hadn’t worn a shirt to bed, just his boxers this time. He flushed as he pulled his blanket around him. “I hate you so much!” 

“Yes, yes, Zim knows,” Zim said, brushing off the comment. “Now get dressed! I refuse to be late for our day of orientating!” 

Dib groaned. It was only morning and he was already exasperated. 

 

000000000000000 

 

Giving Gir orders to stay put and not destroy anything (orders that Dib desperately hoped the robot followed) the two of them made their way to the classroom Midge had told them to go to. She’d programmed their communicators with a map of the campus, and after a few arguments about which way to go, Dib and Zim managed to make it just in time.  

The classroom was a series of desks on risers, going up about seven rows. Dib and Zim made their way toward the back, deciding it best to avoid others until further notice. On their way up someone stuck their leg out and tripped Zim, causing him to stumble. Dib turned around, noticing some alien with spikes in place of hair laughing with a couple others sitting beside him.  

Zim, however, handled the situation with a grace only he could muster. He got back to his feet and dusted himself off, before continuing up the risers. His head was held high, as if to portray to the culprit that even after that, Zim was still better than him. 

“Come on, Dib-worm,” Zim muttered, pushing him forward. Dib gave him a dirty look for pushing him but complied, regardless. They took their seats in the back, and Dib began to observe the number of people here. He wondered how many people got accepted into Polaris Academy on average. He counted only twelve people here, including himself and Zim. And only three others were wearing the same charcoal uniform indicating that they were in the Accelerated Training Program. 

Matsuri entered the room once everyone was settled, a tablet and stylus in her hands. She scanned the room for a moment before she spared Dib and Zim a lingering look, offering a small smile. She then addressed the entire group. “Good day to you all,” she said sweetly and clearly, “and welcome to Polaris Academy.” 

Someone on the other side of the classroom cheered loudly and the people around them laughed. Dib and Zim exchanged looks and rolled their eyes. Apparently obnoxious people didn’t just exist on Earth. 

“Yes, it’s very exciting,” Matsuri said. “Now, allow me to make sure everyone is here.”  

She began to call roll, looking up from her tablet to scan the classroom. She didn’t have to do this with Dib or Zim, merely saying their names and barely glancing in their direction. Once she was done with that, she began typing something into her tablet. “As I’m sure all of you are intelligent and mature individuals-,” she said this as if she knew most of them weren’t. Dib couldn’t help but snort – “I will be sending you all copies of our rules and regulations to your communicators. It is important that you follow these to the letter. Most of it is common sense. No cheating, no vandalizing, no stealing and no fighting except in sanctioned training sessions.” Dib thought that she looked up at him and Zim for a moment, but he brushed it off as his imagination. 

“Alright,” Matsuri said, bringing her tablet to her chest, “if you’ll gather your things and follow me, we’ll begin the tour.” 

Dib and Zim lagged behind toward the back of the group, avoiding the nasty looks and the chance of anyone else messing with them. Dib was sure none of these people had ever seen a human before, but since he was associating with Zim, they probably hated him already by default. He sighed. It wasn’t like he could just go his own way. Dib had never been good at putting himself out there, and Zim was the only person he really knew. Not to mention, he found himself feeling rather protective of the Irken, all of a sudden. He knew it was silly. Zim was more than capable of taking care of himself. But the awful looks he was getting were still bothersome. 

The tour started in the front courtyard, with Matsuri talking about when Polaris Academy was established and its extensive history as one of the best military academies in the Galactic Alliance. Most graduates became automatic recruits into the Galactic Fleet. She then explained that in recent years that the Academy instituted the Accelerated Training Program, for those who had been recruited for specific reasons, but required basic training and education. Dib noticed how some of the other students glanced at the Accelerated Training students, not looking too happy. Midge had definitely been right about that, then. 

The main building of the Academy was huge. They found themselves back in the gymnasium like room, which Matsuri referred to as the Combat Center. Sparring sessions were held there often, and it was common for recruiters to personally train their newbies here. She also showed them several other training facilities, including a large fitness room and a shooting range. There was also an Armaments Area, where they would learn to use a variety of weapons in close combat. They spotted Krugg while there and he gave Dib an acknowledging nod. He grimaced as Zim grinned mischievously 

“You know, you’re not making him dislike you any less,” Dib told Zim with a shake of his head. 

“Nonsense,” Zim said, waving his hand dismissively. “Everyone loves me.” 

The dirty looks they got from those in front of them said otherwise. 

They came to a room that almost made Dib think it was outdoors. There was mud on the ground, and rain pounding on the trainees within. It looked like they were running around some sort of obstacle course, with a climbing wall, low hanging lasers that had to be crawled under, and hurdles that stood about three feet high. Dib’s brow furrowed as he looked around, trying to figure out where the rain was coming from. 

“Our obstacle course is unique in the fact that we can change the climate at will,” explained Matsuri proudly. “As Polaris Space Station doesn’t have seasons, or a weather pattern, at all, this is our way of preparing students for the different environments of different planets.” She looked across the field. “Hello, Commander Strohi.” 

A tall, muscular alien looked up from observing the trainees. He had skin that looked mostly purple, but appeared green in some parts when he moved. It was almost pearlescent. He also had only one, round, blue eye. He was holding an energy shield over his head like an umbrella, protecting him from the rain. He gave Matsuri a small grin. “Lieutenant Matsuri. Another crop of squeebs I see?” 

Matsuri rolled her eyes. “Squeebs are what some of the instructors call newbies,” she told the group behind her. She turned back to Strohi. “Your students won’t mind if we demonstrate the Weather Scrambler, will they?” 

“Tch,” Strohi scoffed. “They could use the mix up, honestly.” He pulled a remote from his pocket and played with the buttons a bit. After a while the weather changed from pelting rain to fluttering snow, and the ground went from mud to an icy tundra. 

“That is so cool,” Dib said under his breath, hopelessly fascinated. 

“That’s child’s play,” muttered Zim, folding his arms. “You’d think so, too, if you’d seen the challenges I had to endure on Hobo 13.” 

“Hobo 13?” Dib asked, very interested in Zim’s statement. 

“It’s an elite training planet,” Zim explained. “Only the best of the best come out of there alive.” 

“Or the worst of the worst,” sniggered one of the students ahead of them. The group surrounding laughed. Dib scowled angrily, almost telling these jerks to mind their own business, but Zim snatched his wrist. His claws grazed his skin. 

“Leave it,” hissed Zim, before dropping Dib’s wrist. Dib wanted to argue, but the look on Zim’s face told him that wasn’t a good idea. 

The group left the obstacle course, heading for a nearby room of a similar size. There they found a large swimming pool, filled with a green liquid that looked like what came out of the showers on the _Nazo_. Matsuri explained that this pool was one of two, though the other was used for more recreational purposes than for training. Curiosity got the better of Dib and he raised his hand. 

“Yes?” Matsuri acknowledge kindly. Everyone in the group turned around and stared at him. Dib did his best to ignore them. 

“Um…what’s the liquid in the pool made from?” he asked nervously. 

To his great chagrin the rest of the group began chortling. He felt his face flood with color as he glared at them.  

“That’s enough,” Matsuri ordered. She offered Dib a charming smile. “It’s a special solution that was invented right her on Polaris Space Station. It has antibacterial properties, so we use it for cleansing as well. It’s also what you saw falling down at the obstacle course. It’s been tested on a variety of species, and has shown to be safe for everyone.” He smile became more knowing. “Why do you ask?” 

Dib rubbed the back of his neck. He could tell that Matsuri just wanted him to tell this group his reasons for asking, since, of course, she already knew. “Well, the planet I’m from, we have a type of water that can burn some species.” He avoided looking at Zim. No need to let these losers know his rival’s weaknesses. 

A few of the other students looked rather interested by this, while others scoffed in disbelief. Either way, their attention turned back to Matsuri as she continued the tour. Dib had to remember to thank her eventually. 

The next stop was the labs. The Academy had three, two used for classes and one used mostly by the staff for research. All three were twice the size of Dib’s father’s lab at Membrane Tech, and Dib could already imagine the look on his face if he saw all this amazing equipment. Dib felt the tiniest tug at his heartstrings, remembering the last time he’d talk to his father. He couldn’t help but wonder if Dek’s little stunt had done any good. 

They caught a glimpse of Milgor, who waved to them enthusiastically. Dib noticed Matsuri give him a reprimanding look. He figured that they were trying not give the idea of favoritism. 

After that, Matsuri took them to the Archives. The room was huge and had giant towers covered in blinking lights along the walls. There were also dozens of computers. The way Matsuri explained it, this was basically their version of a library, only instead of physical books everything could simply be search for from the computers, and even downloaded into their communicators. Dib beamed. That was going to make researching things _so_ much easier. 

One of the last stops was the ship hanger, where Dib could see a variety of vessels lined up. Matsuri explained that they would mostly be learning piloting through their advance simulators, and that most of these ships were used for Mechanics classes or by the staff. They ran into E.J., who grinned broadly as the group approached. 

“Good day, Lieutenant Matsuri,” E.J. greeted. 

“E.J.,” she replied cordially. She addressed the group of students. “Just so you guys know, this is the only instructor you’ll be able to address by just his name.” 

“That’s because my real name is a terrible mouthful,” he replied with exasperation. 

Matsuri laughed lightly, looking over to the far corner of the hanger. She rose a brow. “You still have that piece of junk?” 

“Hey,” E.J. replied defensively. “That Astor is a classic. I’ll get around to fixing it up someday.” 

“You said that last year. And the year before that,” Matsuri teased. 

“We have been busy,” he said pointedly.  

Dib looked over at the ship they were talking about. It definitely looked like it had seen better days, covered with a layer of dust and dirt. The front window was cracked, and there were several scratches and dents. However, it was bigger than either Tak’s ship or Zim’s Voot cruiser, and had a sleek frame that appeared to be made for speed. It had potential. 

He hadn’t even realized how long he’d been staring until he felt Zim tug his arm. “Come on, Dib-stink!” Zim insisted, indicating the retreating group. Dib pulled his arm free and made to follow, glowering at the Irken. 

“Would you watch it?” Dib told him. “You’ll rip my arm out of socket.” 

“If I wanted to rip your arm out of socket I would!” Zim retorted. “And it would be so easy. You humans are like paper to the superior strength of an Irken.” 

Dib rolled his eyes. He became even more annoyed when he realized that Zim was probably going to excel at everything they came across during their training. The Irken had already done it all before, after all. 

The tour ended outside their dorms. Dib sincerely hoped it was around meal time, as his stomach gurgled loudly. Zim made a point to tease him about it. 

Matsuri wrapped up the tour with a reminder to go over the rules and regulations as she did some typing on her tablet. “You’ll find your schedules uploaded to your communicators. Please remember to be punctual, as our instructors will not tolerate tardiness.” 

Dib looked over his schedule, seeing that it began the very next day. He had four days of varying classes, including Advanced Computer Technology. He had Physical Training every morning, which was held on the obstacle course, and also a few other combat classes. Even his personal training sessions with Dek and Midge were marked on there. He took a peak over Zim’s shoulder, sighing roughly. They had the exact same schedule. 

Zim caught him looking and frowned, pulling his communicator to his chest. “Mind your own business, you overly tall monkey!” 

Dib gave him an unaffected look. “You do know that I would just figure out we have the same schedule tomorrow, right?” 

“I’ll figure out your demise tomorrow!” replied Zim snippily. 

“Right,” Dib said, rolling his eyes. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Wanna go grab some food?” 

Zim squinted an eye, as if considering the offer. Finally, he nodded. “Fine. We will track down the food stuffs. And THEN I will plot your demise!” 

Dib snorted. “I totally believe you.” 

Just as Zim opened his mouth to retort, someone bumped into him roughly. Dib frowned, knowing by the looks of it that it hadn’t been an accident. Zim turned to face the assailant, being met with a look of hatred and disgust as the person unapologetically spat, “ _Cudovor_ _._ ” 

Zim noticeably tensed, glaring daggers at the person who had pushed him. Dib wasn’t sure what that word had meant, but it sounded nasty, and obviously Zim didn’t like it. 

“Zim?” Dib asked, concern leaking into his tone. 

“Hmm?” Zim grunted, looking up at the human. “Oh, yes, food stuffs.” He reached and grabbed for Dib’s wrist, dragging him along. “Come along, little weak human.” 

Dib wasn’t buying his nonchalance for a moment. “What did they call you?” he asked seriously. 

Zim set his jaw. “Nothing that needs repeating,” he replied. 

“You know I’m not gonna let up until you tell me, right?” Dib informed him. 

“Which begs the question why I haven’t put you out of my misery,” grumbled Zim. Dib almost wanted to answer what he knew to be the truth – that Zim liked him – but figured that would be too low a blow. Zim let go of his wrist and looked up at him. “It’s Vortian. It’s difficult to translate into your language, but the closest term I can come up with is ‘monster’. Only…only it’s nastier.” His face contorted in disgust. “It’s basically a slur some people use for Irkens. I’ve heard it before.” 

Dib frowned deeply, feeling a burn of anger in his chest on Zim’s behalf. Yeah, he and Zim had said some pretty awful things to each other, but…Dib never felt it was to that extent. 

“Don’t give me that look, Dib-stink,” Zim said, narrowing his eyes. “This isn’t the first place I’ve been to where people openly dislike Irkens. Even back when Vort was an equal ally, the majority of them disliked my race. We’re conquerors. We have a tendency to view others as below us. Trust me when I say I am quite used to being hated simply because of what I am.” 

Dib shifted a bit, pondering Zim’s words. He really didn't know what to say. He understood what it was like to be an outcast to your own kind, to be hated simply because of what you believed in. But to be judged solely by your race...Dib had never really had that problem. He wanted to say something comforting, but knowing Zim it probably wouldn’t be taken well. 

So, instead, Dib nudged Zim softly. “Come on, Space Boy, I’m starving,” he said brightly, trying to get on a less serious subject. He grinned mischievously before taking off at a run. “Race ya!” 

Zim gaped before snarling loudly. “You cheat! Get back here, you horrible creature!” 

Dib just laughed, continuing to dash across the back courtyard. He ignored all the strange and unhappy looks he and Zim received, focusing on trying to outrun the gaining Irken. Despite everything else, he figured that, maybe, the two of them could take solace in one thing. 

At least, this time around, they wouldn’t be alone. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dib in goggles is totes my jam. 
> 
> Also this chapter be SO FREAKING LONG how did that even happen what?

It didn’t take long for Dib to find the distinct disparity between his high school days and his training at Polaris Academy. 

First of all, he had to wake up much earlier. Or at least it felt earlier. Maybe it was just because Zim drug him out of bed. They got dressed in their charcoal uniforms before bidding Gir goodbye. Dib wondered what the robot was going to do all day, but considering he hadn’t destroyed the entire campus on orientation day, he figured he didn’t have to worry too much. 

As they approached the obstacle course room, they found Midge and Dek standing in front of the entrance. Midge was tossing something in her hand. They looked up and waved the two of them over. 

“How was orientation yesterday?” Dek asked casually. 

“Informative,” answered Dib with a shrug. “This place is pretty amazing, though.” 

“Tch, you’re so easily fascinated,” Zim said, shaking his head. “The Academy on Irk is twice this size and three times as awesome.” 

“You’re incorrigible,” Dib stated. 

“Anyway,” Midge interrupted, stopping the argument before it could begin. She handed Dib the item in her hand. It was a shiny black case. It almost…looked like a glasses case. “Change of plans, Membrane. Looks like we won’t be shooting lasers into your eyes, after all.” 

Dek grimaced. “Do you have to say it like that?” 

“What? That _is_ what we do!” 

Dib took the case tentatively, turning it over and over in his hands. He noticed a bouncing to his right and looked down at Zim. “What’s with you?” 

“Would you open the case, already?!” Zim demanded impatiently. 

“Okay, geez, calm down,” Dib told him in irritation. He pressed a tab in the middle and the case popped open. When he lifted the lid his eyes widened.  

Goggles. There was a pair of goggles in the case. The rims were jet black, and the lenses were clear. There was a tiny dial on the left side. Delicately, Dib lifted them from the case. He’d always wanted a pair of goggles like these. 

“That dial is the different settings,” Dek explained. “They have a zoom feature, night vision, a setting for heat signatures, along with correcting your current vision, of course. They weren’t what I had in mind, but I think this will be a good compromise between your glasses and corrective surgery.” 

Dib nearly choked on his words, still so unused to getting gifts. Especially thoughtful ones. “Thank you.” 

Dek scoffed. “Don’t thank us. Thank the one that broke into the staff lab last night and harassed Milgor nonstop to help him.” He glared at Zim. “You know, I am the Assistant Dean. I could just expel you.” 

“It was for a good cause!” Zim protested grumpily. 

Dib turned to Zim, his eyes wide. “You…you made these for me?” 

Zim’s cheeks turned fuscia, and he wouldn’t meet Dib’s gaze. “Tch! I just felt like making some goggles! Then I realized that I didn’t need them! But you do, because your eyes are inferior and stupid!” 

Dib felt the stupid smile on his face before he could stop it. Excitedly, he pulled his cracked glasses from his face and pulled the goggles over his head. Immediately, his vision was even better than what it had been with his glasses. He had to adjust the strap so that they weren’t too tight, but besides that they were perfect. 

Midge gave him a soft smile. “This was a good idea,” she said sincerely, taking back the case and Dib’s glasses. “They look good on you.” 

Dek squinted an eye in interest. “Hmm. They actually do.” He gazed down at his wrist watch, his eyes widening. “Well, we better get going. We got jobs and you gotta get to morning training. And trust me when I say that Strohi will punish you for being tardy.”  

“That’s for sure,” Midge agreed. She and Dek began to walk away. “See you two at the end of the week. And behave yourselves.” 

Dib waved after, turning to Zim. The Irken still wouldn’t meet his gaze, his arms folded and his cheeks still tinted dark green. Dib snorted before elbowing him lightly. “Hey, Space Boy.” 

Zim looked up at that, his expression irritated. “What, human?” 

Dib merely grinned. “Bet you I can finish this course before you.” 

Zim gave him a skeptical look before it morphed into a challenging smirk. “Not on your life, Dib-stink.” 

 

0000000000000000 

 

Zim ended up beating Dib, and every other student in their class. Where Dib found himself feeling a sense of pride on his behalf, their fellow classmates appeared less enthused. Dib figured it was inevitable. Zim was faster and stronger than the rest of them, and also had experience that the rest did not. There was no getting around the enemies he was going to make. 

Their next class was Galactic History, instructed by an alien name Lahran. He explained that he retired from the Galactic Fleet several years ago, but began teaching out of boredom. He looked like he was old enough to have seen the universe begin. However, Dib found the material interesting enough, so the instructor’s droning didn’t lull him to sleep. Zim paid little attention, finding the ceiling tiles far more interesting. 

“These are all things I already know,” Zim explained when Dib complained about his behavior. “The Irken Academy made sure we were very well educated on the different planets and species in the universe.” 

“Well…see it as a different perspective,” Dib attempted. “You can view them as interesting cultures instead of new conquests.” 

“I may not belong to the Empire any longer, Dib, but I am an Invader,” Zim told him. “I view all things as a means of conquest.” 

Dib really didn’t like Zim’s tone. It made his mind go to very inappropriate places. 

Dib could already tell that the Advance Computer Technology class was going to be his favorite. Not only was the work all extremely hands on, but it was exciting to be so involved with state-of-the-art technology. Zim told him to stop bouncing around like a bowl of jelly. Dib just ignored him, continuing to enjoy himself. 

Their first class with E.J. in Mechanical Shop was pretty standard. A brief lecture about the structure of the class and what was expected. He then took them on a more in depth tour of the hanger, pointing out various tools that they would be using.  

“You’ll also have your own personal project,” he explained. “Normal students usually have six months to finish it, but since this is an Accelerated Class, you guys get three.” He pointed out a line of ships a few rows down. “Those will be your projects. They're Meekrob Strikers. They’ve been stripped of everything on the inside.” He grinned. “It’s up to you to put them together. Customize them as much as you want. But in three months, you gotta be able to get them in the air and keep them there. Without exploding.” 

Dib’s eyes trailed over to the dark corner of the hanger, where the Astor sat hanging out, looking desolate and abandoned. Something stirred inside him, and his hand shot up in the air. 

“Yes, Membrane?” E.J. called. 

“Does it have to be one of the Strikers?” he asked boldly. The other three students gave him annoyed looks. Dib ignored it, standing firm. Curious ruby eyes studied him from his right. 

E.J. gave him a surprised look, but gave a thoughtful hum. “I guess not,” he said with a shrug. “See me after, and we’ll discuss it.” 

Once class ended and the other students filed out, Dib approached E.J. He felt his palms sweat. What if he didn’t let him have the Astor? It wasn’t really that big of a deal, but…he really felt like he could fix the ship up. Not to mention he felt he had something to prove. He was possibly the first human any of these people had ever seen. And where he knew other humans back home were brain-dead, he was not. And he wanted to prove that he deserved to be here just as much as anyone else. 

“So whatchu got?” E.J. asked, looking very interested. 

Dib took a deep breath. “I want that Astor to be my project.” 

E.J. stared at him in disbelief. “Dib, I’ve been trying to get that thing going for _years_ ,” he told him seriously. “What makes you think you can get it off the ground?” 

“Because I’ll have the time,” Dib said with a smirk. “You said it yourself. You’re busy. But I’ll have free days, right? Plus I’ve fixed up a ship before, and it was in pretty bad shape, too.” 

“Really? Captain didn’t tell me that,” E.J. said thoughtfully. “What kind of ship?” 

“An Irken one,” answered Dib. “It was Tak’s old one. Or, rather, she has it back now.” He was still really pissed about that. He’d worked hard on that ship. 

“Wow. Irken ships are some advance sons of bitches,” he stated, sounding genuinely impressed. He looked over to the decrepit Astor, before a strange smile crept across his face. “Tell you what, not only can she be your project, but if you get her off the ground, she’s yours.” 

Dib’s eyes widened. “Really?!” 

“Really,” he replied, sounding amused. “But that’s if you can get her flying. And I’m warning, it won’t be easy. She’s an old girl with a lot of problems.” 

Dib took another look at the Astor, conviction surging through him. “I can do this,” he said confidently. 

E.J. smiled. “Okay, then,” he said offering his hand. They shook on the deal, E.J. laughing slightly. “You gotta thing for the difficult, don’tcha, kid?” 

Dib rose a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Nothing,” E.J. replied, waving him off. “Get going. You’re gonna be late for your next class.” 

Dib just nodded, heading out of the hanger. He found Zim leaning against the wall, tapping his foot impatiently.  

“What was that about?” Zim asked. 

Dib gave him a smug look. “I just got myself a ship.” 

Zim’s expression was incredulous. “You LIE!” 

“Nope. No lies here,” Dib said. “E.J. says if I can fix up the Astor then I can have it.” 

Zim squinted an eye at him. “You do realize that Astors are old ships,” Zim said, as if explaining to a child. “Like REALLY old. Like ancient.” 

“You’re exaggerating,” Dib argued. 

“I am not!” Zim shouted. “But, it’s whatever. If you wanna fail this stupidly easy class by being all over-achieve-y, then I won’t stop you. It’ll just be more fun for me.” 

Dib narrowed his eyes. “I’ll show you.” 

Zim smirked in return. _I know you will._  

 

000000000000 

 

Their first personal training session with Midge and Dek was, surprisingly, discouraging. 

Dek decided it best that Midge pair up with Zim and he with Dib, given their individual needs. Dib needed to get used to fighting taller people, so he couldn’t use his height to his advantage, and Zim had to learn to think outside the box – or PAK, rather. 

Dib had never found himself on the ground more in his whole life. And he had been bullied constantly since childhood and fighting Zim for almost as long. Dek was strong, and even just being the slightest bit taller than Dib made a mountain of difference. He was also far more agile, and overall way more experienced. Dib knew he couldn’t rely on his ragtag fighting style to bring him down. He needed to improve. 

Zim didn’t do much better. The one thing many people didn’t know about Lazurothians was that the females weren’t just a bunch of sissy nobles who let the males be their guard dogs. Females were trained in several forms of combat, and had a ferocity comparable to Irkens. On top of that, Midge was quick, wiry and could easily match him in strength. Needless to say, the Princess of Lazuroth was a formidable opponent. 

This routine continued on. Early mornings were spent on the obstacle course, the terrain constantly different with no pattern. They’d then have breakfast before attending classes. Sometimes Galactic History would assign research projects, but most of the classes were pretty hands-on in class learning. Dib absorbed all the new information like a sponge, staying focused during classes and training hard. He was happy that he had off days, but he found himself working just as hard on those as he did on class days.  

He spent a lot of his free time working on the Astor, studying up on what it needed and what upgrades he could make. It turned out to be just as difficult as E.J. and Zim had warned him. Most the parts the ship still had were worn out and unsalvageable. Pretty much the whole engine would need replacing, lots of upgrades to the computer system would need to be made, and it needed a new power source altogether. But Dib didn't let it deter him. He accepted this challenge, and he would get the ship flying if it was the last thing he did. 

Along with this and the occasional project, Dib was being schooled by Matsuri and Midge in several different languages. The main ones they taught him were Irken and Vortian, mostly for his future missions with Team Nebula. Vortain was much easier than Irken, since Irken was harsher and had an almost animalistic tone to it. The first time Zim heard him try it out on his own he laughed hysterically. 

“That was pathetic, Earth-smell! Your inferior tongue is no match for my mighty native language!” 

Dib ignored the darker parts of his brain that wanted to prove to Zim that his tongue was anything but inferior. 

However, through it all, Dib found himself actually enjoying having Zim around. Zim understood him in ways no one else would, and it went the other way as well. They spent their free time watching downloaded movies on their ridiculously large monitor in their small living area. They had even managed to convince Gaz to send them some from Earth. Or they would play video games. Sometimes Midge would invite them out with her and Dek, and they would go out to dinner and just walk around the huge city. It was...really nice. Several months ago the idea of having one friend sounded silly, but now here Dib was, hanging out in a group and having a good time. 

Dib just had to ignore the flush in cheeks and the knot in his gut when Zim wore his casual clothing. It was not right for someone so crazy and evil to have such tantalizing curves. Or such a seductive grin. Or an adorable and endearing smile. 

Dib let that train of thought crash and burn, debating on leaping out a window. 

Unfortunately, along with all that, the dirty looks and horrible whispers from some of the other people continued. In fact, they began to escalate. There wasn’t a day that went by where they walked down a corridor without someone calling out “ _cudovor_ _.”_ Dib also got some of the abuse, mostly in the form of glares and the occasional shove. 

Despite all this, they muddled through the first few weeks of classes and training without incident. Midge had even joked that she was surprised Zim hadn't throttled someone, or that the two of them hadn't killed each other. Dek commented for her not to get her hopes up. 

And, really, it had only been a matter of time. 

It was one of their off days. Zim had developed a habit of frequenting the staff labs, often with Gir on his shoulder. Dib wouldn't say out loud that he worried about him ( with over ninety percent of the people they encountered hating Zim just for being Irken) but, yeah, he did. A part of him assured himself that Milgor was there, and as a Team Nebula member he was sure to alert Dek if something wasn't right, even if it was the former Invader's fault. 

Dib had spent the day working on the Astor. It had gotten to the point where as soon as he would figure out one problem another would reveal itself. He finally gave up and scrapped everything on the inside, intent on replacing it. For the first time he was having his doubts. How the hell was he going to finish this in time? 

He pushed those thoughts aside, reminded that tonight he and Zim had plans to go get pizza and watch a variety of T.V. shows. The Irken had appeared just as interested to find that several other planets had broadcasting networks similar to Earth's. Apparently the only show they had in the Irken Empire was Tallest T.V. It was literally just an hour long video of the Tallests ranting about various things. Sometimes there were even public executions. Dib made sure to remind Zim that his former leaders were seriously messed up. 

However, all joyful thoughts of a fun-filled night of entertainment and casually throwing insults came to a halt when Gir came galloping down the corridor. He appeared extremely distraught. 

"Mary! Mary come quick!" He pleaded, leaping into Dib's chest and clinging to him tightly. 

Dib cradled his arms under the robot to support his weight. His brows knitted in concern. "Easy, Gir. What's wrong?" 

"It's Masta'!" Gir sobbed, his cyan eyes full of tears. "Some meanies stole his PAK and now he's all dying and stuff." 

Dib's gut clenched, panic suddenly coursing through him. "What?! Where is he?" 

"I take you! He this way!" 

Dib followed hastily, keeping pace with the sprinting robot. They came to a tiny storage closet, which Dib opened with shaky, sweaty hands. Fear clawed at his insides once he saw what was inside. "Zim?!" 

"Hmm?" Zim grunted, looking dazed. "Ah...the Dib. So...so nice of you to join us." 

He looked bad. His bottom lip was busted, light pink trickling from the wound all the way down his chin. He also had several bruises. Without his PAK he couldn't regenerate. 

Without his PAK Zim would die… 

Anger flooded Dib's body. Whoever did this either knew what they were doing and did it on purpose, or was just being a cruel, curious asshole. Either way, Dib was going to make them pay. 

However, for now he needed to stay focused. "How long has it been?" 

"Eh?" Zim said, his speech slurred. "How...how long has what been?" 

"Your PAK, Zim," Dib said desperately. He had to know how much time he had. He would worry about how this happened later. "How long since they took your PAK?" 

"Mmm," Zim hummed, closing his eyes. "About... three minutes?" 

Dib set his jaw. That meant he only had seven minutes left. "Can...can you remember who did this? Can you tell me where they went?" 

"I can tell you, Mary!" Gir replied cheerfully. 

Dib nodded. "Good," he offered out his arm for Gir to climb onto his shoulder. He looked at Zim once more. He felt like someone was grabbing his heart through his chest and squeezing. "Just...sit tight, Zim. I'm not gonna let you die like this." 

"Yes, mmm, my death, mmm, glorious." He opened his eyes, his expression becoming slightly dreamy. "Have I ever told you how marvelous your eyes are?" 

Dib blushed, but he brushed the comment off. "Right. Just...just hang on, alright?" 

"Hang on...mmm, yes." 

Dib bit his lip but forced himself to leave the storage closet. He would get no where sitting here hovering over Zim. He had to find the bastard that did this. And possibly kick their ass. "Alright, Gir. Which way?" 

"Um...that way!" Gir replied brightly. 

Dib followed the robots directions to a T, finding himself in an almost abandoned part of the building. He found three guys tossing something around, laughing and jeering in their native language. Rage ignited in Dib's gut when he realized they were playing around with Zim's PAK. 

"Put it down," he ordered, his tone murderous. 

The group all turned around. Dib recognized the guy holding the PAK as the guy who had tripped Zim on their first day. He thought his name was Greel or something. At this point he didn't care. 

"Aww, come to retrieve your mates little accessory?" Greel sneered, tossing the PAK up into the air and catching it. "I didn't actually expect him to be so useless without it.” 

"Give it back!" Dib roared, stomping forward. He was shaking with unrelenting fury. 

"Yeah!" Gir added. "Give my Masta' back his PAK!" 

"Ooh, what an intimidating robot," taunted Greel. "In fact, maybe we should dissemble him for scrap parts. SIR units have been known to be pretty dangerous." His two flunkies came to his sides, both smirking viciously. Dib planted his feet. Well, if they wanted a fight he was definitely itching for one. 

"Gir, get behind me," Dib told the robot.  

Gir saluted. "Yes, sir!" He replied, hopping off Dib's shoulder. Dib turned back to the group of assholes in front of him. He tried to calculate how long it had been. He didn't have time for this. 

"You really think you're gonna do anything against us?" Greel asked mockingly. "Some low life like you from some no name galaxy doesn't even deserve to be here." 

Dib popped his knuckles, glaring lethally. "I'm done talking, you ugly mother fucker." 

Greel's expression became murderous. "Get him." 

His lackies charged at the same time, Dib did his best to quickly analyze his advantages. He was glad that he had extra training lessons with Midge and Dek, knowing that would give him a bit of an edge. He dodged the initial attack, striking one of them in the gut as hard as he could. He grunted as he was sent sprawling. The other one, however, caught Dib off guard, punching him hard in the face. He fell to the ground but regained his bearings in order to trip his attacker to the floor. 

He’d have to remember to thank Zim for these goggles. They were pretty durable. 

"Seriously?!" Greel shouted. "You two can't take on one unevolved moron!" 

The two goons came at Dib again, obviously annoyed. Dib ignored the faint trickle that came from his nose, using their haphazardness to his advantage. He took another punch or two, but  he fought back with everything he had. Zim’s life was on the line. He was actually very proud of himself for how well he was doing in a two-verses-one. He figured he’d thank Dek for kicking his ass on a weekly basis. 

With a quick kick and few good punches the lackeys were down again, this time apparently for good. Dib panted and looked up at Greel. He looked flabbergasted and furious. 

"What...what the hell is with you?!" Greel snarled as Dib stomped forward "Irkens are the bad guys here! Where do you get off going around-," 

Dib didn't let him finish. He punched Greel so hard that he lost his footing and dropped Zim's PAK on the ground. Greel took a moment to regain composure before he began fighting back. The first strike that hit Dib told him that Greel was much stronger than his two flunkies. Dib wasn’t about to give up though, dodging what attacks he could and hitting back viciously. 

However, with a swift kick, Dib found himself on the ground again. He didn’t get a chance to regain his bearings before Greel pinned him down, his hands around Dib’s throat. Dib struggled against the hold, his chest feeling tight from lack of air. Spots appeared at the corner of his vision. He continued to fight. He would not let it end like this. 

“Mary!” Gir screamed, flying into the air. The robot kicked Greel in the back of the head, causing him to cry out in pain and release Dib.  

“You stupid piece of junk!” snarled Greel, turning around to go after Gir. 

Dib took only a moment to cough and take in some much needed air before striking. Taking advantage of Greel’s diverted attention, Dib swung out his foot and kick him hard across the face. Greel fell down, hissing in his native tongue. Just as he made to get up, Dib struck him again. This time when Greel fell, he appeared to be out cold. 

Dib barely took a second to catch his breath before rushing to pick up Zim’s PAK. “Come on, Gir,” he said, nodding his head. The robot obeyed, hopping up on his shoulder. “Thanks for you’re help, by the way.” 

Gir grinned brightly. “Nobody touches Mary except Masta’!” he said. 

Dib couldn’t help but blush. “Um…right.” 

They returned to the storage closet where they had left Zim, kneeling down next to him  “Zim?” Dib asked, shaking the Irken. When Zim didn’t respond he began to panic. “Shit,” he hissed. Carefully he moved Zim over on his belly, soon realizing that he would have to remove Zim’s shirt to make this easier. He tried to do so delicately but also quickly. Once the dark green tunic was out of the way he took the PAK and placed it on Zim’s back, lining up the appropriate ports. And then he waited… 

And waited… 

Just as Dib was about to go into a full on  fit he heard the click and beep of the PAK connecting. The panels glowed bright pink for a moment before fading. Zim blinked his eyes a couple times. 

“Ugh. I’m really starting to hate this place,” Zim mentioned, pulling himself into a sitting position. 

Dib sighed in relief. “Thank God,” he breathed. 

Zim looked up at him for a moment before looking down at his chest. “Why am I shirtless?” He asked suspiciously. 

Dib felt his face heating up as he hastily handed Zim his tunic. “It…uh…made it easier to reattach your PAK.” 

Zim nodded silently, taking his tunic and pulling it over his head. “Ugh. Those horrible, terrible sons of Gorsfinogs! How DARE they treat Zim this way!” He glared at Dib. “Remind me to blow this place up when we’re done here.” 

Dib let himself chuckle. “I’ll be sure to not do that.” 

Zim glared at him for a moment, but it faded quickly as he looked over the human’s appearance. Dib was covered in several bruises along his face and hands, and his nose was bleeding. He also had bruising along his throat. Like someone had tried to strangle him. He felt a surge of fury at Dib having marks that didn’t come from him. “What happened?” 

Dib rose a brow, taken aback by Zim’s tone. He looked down at his busted knuckles. “Well...I couldn’t let him get away with that.” He looked back up at Zim. “So what happened to you?” 

Zim growled in frustration. “They snuck up on me all at once,” he explained, feeling ashamed. “I didn’t hear them coming because Gir was blabbering about something or another. You know how loud he is. Before I knew it they had my PAK off. It…all went down hill from there.” He reached up and wiped away the pink blood on his mouth and chin. “Filthy cowards. They wouldn’t stand a chance against an Irken at full strength.” 

When Zim looked back up at Dib he had a strange look on his face. He followed the human’s gaze to find that he was staring at his lip. Zim felt his squeedlyspooch flop. “Dib?” 

Dib said nothing, staring at where the cut on Zim’s lip was healing. He could even see the regeneration at work, steadily closing the small wound. Without thinking he reached over, taking hold of Zim’s chin, his thumb resting at the corner of his mouth. 

“I’m always so jealous that you can do that,” Dib admitted. He watched as the cut completely closed, fascinated. His thumb moved over Zim’s bottom lip, feeling no sign of the wound. 

He told himself he was just scientifically observing. He told himself he was just so enthralled with how quickly Zim’s body could recuperate after injury. He continued to tell himself this even as he kept running his thumb along Zim’s  bottom lip. 

Zim didn’t dare move. He couldn’t fathom why Dib was touching him like this. And yet, at the same time, he didn’t care. He even found himself wanting more, but he was afraid that anything he said or did would ruin this moment. 

Their eyes met and time froze. There was no need for words for them to understand what the other was thinking. In this moment it didn’t matter that the rest of the jerks in this school hated them. It didn’t matter that they were outcasts back on Earth. It had never mattered. It had always been them verses everyone else. Them verses the universe. 

Dib’s hand still hadn’t moved from Zim’s face, thumb lingering at the corner of his mouth. 

Zim’s squeedlyspooch was pounding erratically, his face heating up at the continuous contact. However, he found himself unable to ignore Dib’s injured state. “You look horrible,” he blurted. 

Dib frowned, pulling his hand away from Zim’s face. “Thanks,” he drawled. 

“I mean, you always look terrible. But right now you look worse.” 

“You’re a real asshat, you know that?” 

Zim rolled his eyes, ignoring the insult. “Come on. Let’s get you to Midge before you bleed all over me.” 

Dib rolled his eyes, but got up from the floor anyway. Zim did as well, only his coordination was still off and Dib had to catch him as he almost fell. “Easy, Space Boy,” he said gently. 

Zim forced himself out of the human’s hold. Ugh. Was the universe taunting him today or something? “Come on, human.” 

As soon as they entered the medical bay, they saw Midge across the room tending to another patient. When she caught sight of them, she said something to the physician’s assistant before striding over. “What the hell happened to you?” she asked, dragging Dib over to the nearest bed. 

“Um…got into a fight,” replied Dib. At seeing Midge’s eyes shift over to Zim, he shook his head. “Not him, this time.” 

“Oh,” Midge said, her eyes widening. “It…wouldn’t have been with a Puphersian, would it?” 

“Huh?” Dib grunted in confusion. 

“Yes,” answered Zim, rolling his eyes. “Why do you ask?” 

“That’s him!” a gruff voice declared. Dib turned to see Greel on one of the far off beds. “That’s the guy that jumped me and my friends!” 

Dib stepped forward and growled. “That is not what happened you-,” 

“Dib,” Zim warned, holding the human back. 

“The Assistant Dean will be here soon,” said Midge in an edgy tone, eyeing Greel darkly. “You can tell your stories then.” 

Soon afterwards, Dek entered the medical bay. He observed the surroundings and immediately scowled at Dib and Zim. “Please tell me you two didn’t fight again.” 

“Not this time,” Midge informed him. “Apparently Dib and Greel got into it.” 

“He attacked us!” Greel shouted. 

“You stole Zim’s PAK!” screamed Dib. 

“Whoa, whoa,” Dek interrupted. “Excuse me?” 

“Him and his little group attacked me and stole my PAK,” explained Zim, glaring at Greel. “If it weren’t for Dib I would be dead.” 

Greel scoffed. “Come on, you can’t believe _his_ word.” 

“And why is that?” Midge asked, her tone threatening. Dek gave her a reprimanding look. 

“Because there’s no proof,” sneered Greel. 

Dib attempted to lunge, only to have Dek hold him back this time. “That is enough!” 

Suddenly Gir flipped from his place on Zim’s shoulder, doing a short jig as he did so. “It’s movie time!” he squealed, as his cyan eyes lit up.  

From Gir’s eyes a scene began to play, projected into a hologram. It showed plainly where Greel and his lackies attacked Zim, jumping him so quickly that the Irken hadn’t had a chance to get his PAK legs out before the device was ripped off of him. Dib clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. 

He wasn’t the only one who was pissed. Dib hadn’t even known Midge had moved until Dek grabbed her and pulled her back. “Midge, stop!” he ordered. Midge struggled for only a moment longer before Dek forced her to look at him. Dek’s expression was stern, meeting Midge’s glowing blue eyes fiercely. Midge stopped struggling, but she still looked like she could kill Greel right now. 

“Make sure he gets patched up,” Dek told the physician’s assistant. “Then send him to the Dean’s office." He looked up at Dib and Zim. "Come on, you two." He told them. 

Just as the four of them turned around to make their way to a more private part of the medical bay, they heard Greel bitterly spit out, " _Cudovor_." 

"What did you just call him?!" Midge screamed, struggling from Dek's grip once more. 

"Stand down, Cuppari!" Dek shouted. This time Midge stopped struggling immediately. It didn't take much for Dib to realize that this was an order from a commanding officer to a subordinate, not a warning from one mate to another. 

Midge pushed herself out of Dek's hold and began leading to way to a back corner. Once the four of them were pretty much isolated, Dek sighed. "Midge, you cannot let your personal feelings affect your actions like that." 

Midge whirled around, her eyes glowing so bright they looked painful. "That asshole could have killed Zim!" She yelled. 

"You think I don't know that?" Said Dek. "We have solid proof. He's going to be dealt with." 

"I'm telling you right now that no punishment would be good enough!" Argued Midge. 

"Midge, you know we can't show any sort of favoritism amongst the recruits-," 

"They are not just recruits!" Midge shouted, stomping her foot. "They are our friends! They're two of our own! Team Nebula sticks together, right? Did you not teach me that?!" 

Zim felt his insides squirm. He was not used to this. He was not used to others being so...protective of him...defending him. He was torn between feeling insulted and...appreciative. He decided with how distraught Midge was acting that perhaps he should go with the latter. 

"Midge," he said, gaining the Lazurothian's attention. He held her gaze for a moment before speaking again. "I can assure you that I am fine." 

Midge stared at him a long time, her eyes looking watery. Her gaze darted between him and Dib. She sniffled and shook her head. "I'll be the judge of that," she told him. "Sit. Both of you." 

Dib gave no argument, sitting down on the nearby bed immediately. Zim hesitated before complying as well. They exchanged glances, seeming to silently speak to each other. 

It was strange, to find out that they actually weren't as alone as they thought. 

 

00000000000000000 

 

The journey back to their dorm was dead silent. Dib and Zim didn’t even look at each other. Even Gir was quiet. It had been a crazy evening, with Zim being attacked and seeing Midge and Dek so upset. It was still strange to have others be so protective of them. 

They were entering their dorm before, finally, Zim spoke. “Thank you.”  

Dib froze, his eyes widening as he stared down at Zim. Zim wasn’t meeting his eyes. “…What?”  

Zim scowled. “I said thank you,” he repeated moodily. “For retrieving my PAK and…er…defending my honor, so to speak.” He waved his hand about. “Not that I needed you to. Zim is quite capable of taking care of himself.”  

Dib felt warmth spread through his chest, continuing to stare down at Zim in disbelief. He couldn't remember Zim ever showing gratitude before. He found this situation very telling, another step in a new direction for them, getting farther and farther from being the enemies they once were.   

"What are friends for?" Dib said quietly. 

Zim’s antennae perked up for a second. Had he heard Dib correctly? “We…we are friends?”  

Dib nearly laughed at the insanity of this situation. However, when he really thought about it he shouldn’t have been surprised that this was happening. It was inevitable, really. He nudged Zim gently. “Yeah, you runt, we’re friends.”  

Zim continued to stare before a tiny smile slipped across his face. Dib sincerely hoped he wasn’t about the have a heart attack as his heart came to a screeching halt at the sight. Zim really was beautiful.  

Any chance at him mentally scolding himself was derailed as suddenly Zim scowled and growled. “Wait! I am NOT a runt!”  

Dib barely dodged the oncoming attack, skittering to his bedroom and locking the door to escape the furious Irken.  

“OPEN THIS DOOR, DIB, OR I SWEAR TO IRK I WILL MURDER YOU WITH A SPOON!”  

Inside the safety of his bedroom, Dib just laughed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allow me to just jump on the “Zim in a dress” bandwagon because omg where was that when I was thirteen and first into IZ?
> 
> Also i have a terrible weakness for any of my ships dancing so...here you go.

Even in such a large school, word had spread fast at Polaris Academy. Within the next few days everyone was talking about what had happened between Dib, Zim, and Greel's group. On the bright side, no one bothered Dib and Zim anymore. Well, there were still plenty of nasty looks, but no one dared throw even the quietest insult their way. Dib wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d been seen as the crazy kid before, and he didn’t really like the idea of being so again. But, if it kept the jerks away from Zim, he couldn’t bring himself to care too much. 

He also felt a little bit better when he heard a group talking one day in the Archives, saying that Greel had been expelled, and his two goons had been punished with cleaning duty. Dib, by some miracle, got by with a mere warning from Adalet. Probably because he had been fighting to save Zim's life.  

Speaking of Zim, Dib hadn’t thought much about what had happened in that storage closet. He could easily tell himself nothing had really happened, but deep, deep down he knew that was a lie. Maybe nothing extreme had happened, but…it was like dipping a toe into a swimming pool, and if he thought about it too much, he would wonder about what would have happened if he had taken it further.  

So he didn’t think about it. 

He liked being friends with Zim. The change had been weird and had seemed to happen without his knowledge, but he was now very glad that it happened. He didn’t want to ruin that. Yes, he was attracted to the Irken, to the point where it was probably unhealthy, but he also knew that Zim liked him in a romantic sense. Dib felt making any move to satisfy his terrible urges would be taking advantage of Zim’s feelings, and he really didn’t want to hurt him. Or piss him off. 

Things were fine the way they were, anyway. There was no need for them to change. 

 

000000000000 

 

They got the message for their first group training session a week or so after the whole Greel incident. They were told to come in their uniforms, but bring a change of clothes to go out in. Apparently it was a ritual to go out on the town after training. Dib hadn’t had much of a chance to really hang out with his new teammates (besides Dek and Midge) since they’d landed on Polaris, so he was pretty excited to see everyone again. Well, in a setting where they were equals and not student and instructor. 

Dib and Zim made their way to Holodeck 4 as they had been instructed. There weren’t a lot of people wandering the corridors, since it was an off day and a bit later in the night. They saw E.J waiting for them as they approached, waving them over. 

“How are things?” He asked lightly. “I heard about what happened.” 

Dib frowned. “You and everyone else.” 

“Heh. I bet. Come on, I’ll show you where to put your stuff.” He gestured for Dib and Zim follow him, leading them to a small locker room. They found two lockers next to each other and put their change of clothes away. When they filed back out E.J. lead them to a huge room. It was painfully bright with white walls, ceiling and floor. The rest of the crew was already there, gathered around the middle of the room. Dek and Midge stood in front of them, chattering quietly every now and then. 

Once everyone was gathered around, Dek stepped forward. "Alright, good to see everyone here," he began, scanning the room. "As you all know this will be the first group training for our two newest recruits," he indicated Dib and Zim. Dib awkwardly waved. Zim posed dramatically like he was the most important person in this room. "So let's not be too harsh on them, alright?" 

There was a series of chuckles through the group. Midge gave Dek a lackluster glare. Dek didn't seem to notice as he turned around and dug through a bag. When he stood back up he produced two glowing orbs, one green and one blue. 

"Usually, with most of our team training sessions, we all get together and do an exercise," he explained. "Today, we're going to do something a little different." 

Midge grinned as she pulled out her communicator and spoke into it. "Load her up." 

The stark white of the holodeck rippled slightly, before different colored pixels began to spread across the room like an ocean wave. Slowly, the scenery changed, taking the form of gray, mossy stone. Dek used his thumbs to press a button on each orb in his hands, before letting them go to float in the air. They spun around for a bit, making a lap or two around the group, before buzzing away in opposite directions. 

"Today we're going to have a bit of a competition," Dek said with a smirk. Midge walked away to drag over a few more bags. They looked large and bulky, but she carried them with ease. She opened the bags and began setting out some equipment that looked like vests and guns one would use for laser tag. "We're going to split up into two teams. Those orbs will correspond to each team's color. It will be your job to capture the other team's orb before they capture yours." He nodded toward where Midge was setting out the equipment. "Suit up." 

The group obeyed, each grabbing a vest and a gun. Dib noticed Zim struggling to get the vest to fit around his PAK, and so made an effort to help him, ignoring the Irken's protests. Once everyone was outfitted, Dek continued. "You will also have to worry about being shot at. The lights on these vests will change color to correspond to the team you are chosen for. If you're shot three times, you're out. If a team has been eliminated, the other team wins by default." 

It was easy enough to understand. It was basically just a really high tech version of Capture the Flag mixed with a bit of laser tag. Dib wondered if Dek and Midge had been inspired while on Earth. He figured he'd ask them later. 

"Alright," Dek said with a grin. "Midge and I will be acting as team captains. I'm the green team and she's the blue team. So, when we call your name, you'll take your place at either side of us." He sighed. "And unfortunately someone cheated at checkers and she gets to go first." 

"I did not cheat!" Midge protested. Dib snorted and heard a couple others try to cover up their laughs. She rolled her eyes before scanning the group. She smirked wickedly and folded her arms. "Zim." 

There was a stunned silence, and the entire group turned to look at Zim. Zim squinted an eye, ever suspicious of the Lazurothian's motives. "I have no interest in being on your team, Midge-weasel." 

Midge wasn't fazed. "Well, you sort of don't have a choice," she told him with a shrug. "Now get over here before you get benched for insubordination." 

Zim growled, not liking that he would be taking orders from this crazy, short, white haired girl. But, he wanted to participate. He was very competitive, after all. So he begrudgingly walked forward and took his place at Midge's side. The lights on his vest began to glow bright blue. 

Dek looked perplexed for a moment before simply shrugging. "That was unexpected. But, that works out better for me." He looked right at Dib and gestured for him to come forward. "Come on, Membrane." 

Dib nearly jumped at being addressed so soon. Back on Earth he was always chosen last for team sports, if he wasn't just left out altogether. But he got a grip on himself rather quickly, stepping forward to take his place on Dek's team. The lights on his vest changed to green. 

A few of the lower agents were told to sit out and work as outside surveillance to guide their team through the maze. It was mostly due to the moderately large group. Milgor also sat out, recovering from some non-lethal chemical burn from a recent experiment that went awry. All the other upper agents stayed on the field teams, and both sides had a total of six members. Besides himself, Dek's team also included Yara and Krugg, while Midge's team had Zim, E.J. and Matsuri. 

“So, the rules are as follows,” Dek announced, holding his gun. “You are not allowed to cover your lights with your hands or arms. You can, however, take cover behind walls. No damaging the equipment or the Holodeck. Most importantly you must work as a team and obey your team leaders.” He scanned the room. “Any questions?” When no one raised a hand, Dek nodded. “Okay then, we have forty-five seconds to find our orbs. Once the forty-five seconds is up, it’s game time.” 

Everyone nodded, splitting up to go in opposite directions. Dib smirked as he yelled over his shoulder, "You're going down, Space Boy!" 

Zim turned around, giving Dib a toothy grin. "Bring it, Dib-monkey!" 

The game was crazy. As soon as both sides found their own orbs and were set loose to capture the opposite team’s, it was almost chaotic. Dib did his best to pay attention to Dek's orders, staying vigilant of anyone on the blue team. Especially Zim. The maze that had been created was rather dim, but he knew Zim could see in the dark. Luckily, with just a small adjustment of his new goggles, so could he. 

It was the most brutal game of laser tag Dib had ever played. At one point their was a huge fire fight between both sides. Dib, Dek and Yara were taking cover behind a wall, shooting over at Midge and couple other blue team members. Dib made a point to yell, "You totally held out on me on my last birthday, Midge!" 

"I told you first impressions aren't everything!" She shouted back smugly. 

Dek peered around the corner and fired, hitting Midge square in the chest. The lights on her vest blinked rapidly for several seconds. "I want a divorce!" Midge declared. Dib watched her tuck and roll to avoid further fire. 

"You can't get a divorce from a permanent bonding," Dek replied teasingly. "You're stuck with me for life." 

"Well, hell," Midge joked. "Should've read the fine print." 

"Midge-goon!" Zim shrieked from somewhere nearby. "Stop flirting with your mate and focus, for Bloop's sake!" 

"I'm the leader here, not you!" Midge argued. 

Dib tuned out their argument, observing his surroundings. "If we just sneak away we can double around and get to their orb," he mentioned. The maze had been easy enough to figure out after a long while of being in it. 

Dek seemed to consider this. "Alright," he said with a nod. "I think they got E.J. guarding it, though. And trust me, he's not easy to get past." 

"Just leave him to me," Yara said slyly. 

Dib rose a brow at her and Dek. "You guys sure like competing with your mates, huh?" He felt weird saying the word "mate." To everyone else it was the more common term, but, for him, it wasn't. 

"There's no fun if there's no challenge," answered Yara with a smile. 

"I fully agree," added Dek. "Also, Midge is incorrigible when she wins." 

Dib snorted, feeling a bit of sympathy for his commanding officer. 

 

00000000000000000 

 

The game had been super close, ending in the green team's victory. Midge pouted dramatically until Dek told her to stop, lest her face get stuck like that. Zim complained endlessly, blaming Midge for being easily distracted, or E.J. for going easy on Yara. He even blamed Dib for some nonsensical reason, but Dib was pretty used to Zim doing that. 

After getting cleaned up and change, Dib found himself excited about going out with the crew. E.J. had mentioned that they were going to a nice bar a little bit away, where there was dancing and the best drinks in the galaxy. Dib wasn't too much for dancing or drinking, but it was nice to hang out with a group of people like this, not having to pretend to be something he wasn’t, or feeling like he didn't belong. 

Dib almost laughed out loud. Of course he would feel right at home with a bunch of aliens. 

As he came out of the locker room, in search for the rest of the group, he felt his breath hitch so hard that he nearly squeaked. His eyes widened to the pointed where they almost took up all the space in his goggles. He felt heat consume his entire body. 

Across the room, Zim was chatting happily with Midge, Dek standing at her side and nodding every now and then. However, Zim, himself, was the sole focus of Dib's attention. The Irken was definitely wearing a purple dress. It looked too long to be a tunic, going down to his knees, with slits on either side that almost went up to his hips. The sleeves were short, exposing the skin of his arms not covered by his gloves. He still wore his usual black leggings and boots.  

However, what caught Dib's attention the most was the back of the dress. Most of Zim's shirts and tunics had been modified with Matsuri's help, fitting snuggly around his PAK. This one, though, did not do this. The back came down into an extremely low V, the bottom point nearly hitting Zim's tailbone. Dib found it hard to breath. Oh, _God_ , he looked _good._  

"Uh...Dib?" Someone asked beside him. He jumped, finding Yara giving him a concerned look. "Are you alright?" 

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I'm great!" Dib stammered. 

Unsurprisingly, Yara looked unconvinced. "You're face is very red. Should I inform Midge?" 

"What?! No, no. It's fine. I'm just...still recovering from our training." 

Yara blinked. "Humans are strange creatures," she stated. 

Dib didn't bother arguing. 

 

0000000000000000000 

 

Dib told himself that he wasn't avoiding Zim. He really wasn't. He totally was not making sure he stayed as far away from that enticing looking Irken as possible. It was enough for Dib to go to the bar and get himself a drink, even if he had no idea what to order. He made the mistake of telling the bartender to surprise him, and now he was nursing some super strong liquor mixture that was a very bright shade of blue. 

However, Zim hadn't shown any signs of noticing, eagerly chatting up their other crew members. Every now and then Dib would catch himself staring for too long before tearing his gaze away and taking another sip of his drink. He knew he probably shouldn't be seeking solace in alcohol, but right now he wasn't sure what else to do. He didn't trust himself to go anywhere near Zim. 

Dib mentally scolded himself. He was acting so nervous and stupid. It was just Zim. Loud, annoying, ridiculous, beautiful, _sexy_ Zim. Dib took a longer sip of his drink, hoping get those thoughts out of his head. He didn't want to complicate things. And if he acted on what he was feeling right now it would _definitely_ complicate things. 

"You alright?" Someone asked as they sat on the stool beside him. Dib looked up to find Matsuri looking at him curiously. 

Dib looked up at her, the straw of his drink clamped between his lips. He took another sip before setting it down on the bar. "I'm fine." 

"Then why are you over here all by yourself?" She asked, sounding sincerely concerned. 

Dib stubbornly shook his head. "No reason." It definitely didn't have anything to do with Zim. No way. 

Matsuri shrugged. "Whatever you say." She looked over at the group for a moment. Some of the agents had started dancing to the music, though most of them remained seated, talking and laughing. "By the way,” Matsuri continued, “I heard about what happened with Zim's PAK. I should've known that kid was trouble from the start." 

Dib shook his head. "It's not like it was your fault," he said frankly. "Actually, I've been meaning to thank you for what you did on orientation day." 

"Not a big deal," Matsuri replied sweetly. "All those other students grew up in the Galactic Alliance, and they don't understand that it's just a giant melting pot of different species and cultures. Most of them view any race not in the Alliance as outsiders, like they don't belong. Given, it's not really an excuse. I grew up in the Alliance as well, but my parents were extremely open minded people and travelled outside it often." She shrugged again. "It's why I got into Linguistics. You can learn so much about a race's culture just from learning their language." 

Dib simply nodded. It was still so hard to believe how closed minded the students he had encountered could be. And he had thought humans were bad. 

But, the current topic took his mind off the green temptation that was sitting over on the couch across the bar with his too sexy to be legal outfit on. 

"So, do you know Lazurothian?" Dib asked Matsuri. 

Matsuri smiled knowingly. "You just wanna catch Midge off-guard." 

"Eh. I figured it would be fun." 

Matsuri studied him for a moment before scooting her bar stool over, excitement gleaming his her eyes. "Alright then. Repeat after me..." 

 

00000000000000000 

 

Zim was not happy. Here he was, dressed in his best and most favorite outfit, looking even more amazing than usual, and actually socializing for the first time in eons, and Dib was sitting across the bar by himself, completely ignoring him. 

At first, Zim brushed it off. Dib had weird moments where he liked to be alone. Zim knew this very well. He was fine until that filthy, wretched, jellyfish of a Communications Officer went over there and started talking to him. Right now she was leaned in close, giggling every now and then, and even making _his Dib_ laugh in return. Red hot rage was coursing through Zim's veins. He would end that horrid harlot right here, right now. 

Before he knew it, he had risen from his seat, intent on accomplishing his goal, when someone grabbed him by the arm. "Freeze." 

Zim whirled around, wrenching himself free from Midge's grip. "Unhand me, you ice princess!" 

Midge blinked at him. "You look like you're about to kill someone," she pointed out. "And murder is kind of frowned upon on Polaris." 

 "I will do what I please!" Zim growled stubbornly, making to stomp away. 

Midge grabbed him once more. "You can't kill Matsuri." 

Zim snarled. How did this terrible snow-weasel know these things?! "Why not?!" He asked petulantly. 

"Because she’s the top Communications Officer in the entire Galactic Fleet," Midge explained. "She's vital to Team Nebula. And she's our comrade and our friend." 

Zim shook with the force of his fury. He debated on the pros and cons of tearing Midge to shreds to get his way, but he knew that would only end with Dek attempting to kill him. And then he wasn't sure if Dib would defend him against Dek, or if he would also try to avenge Midge.  Either way, it would be more trouble than what it was worth. However, he wanted Dib away from that spindly headed female. His focus should only ever be on Zim! 

Midge suddenly downed her drink and put the glass on a nearby table. She fixed Zim with a strange smile. "You want his attention?" She asked, nodding in Dib's direction. 

Zim hesitated. Obviously, Midge had an idea. A possibly awful idea. However, since he couldn't beat Matsuri to death with the bar stool she was sitting on, he figured he didn't have many other options. "What do you have in mind?" 

Midge smirked, grabbing Zim's hand and dragging him along. "Come on." 

Zim disliked this already. Who did this female think she was, dragging him like this? When he realized they were on the makeshift dance floor, his frown deepened. "What are we doing over here?" He demanded. 

Midge ignored his question, forcibly taking one of his hands in hers and put her other on his shoulder. Zim tensed. He wasn't used to people being this close to him, unless it was Dib. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "Put your hand on my waist," she ordered. 

"I will do no such thing, you vile, horrible-," 

"Zim,” she repeated firmly, her voice almost a growl. “Put your hand. On my waist." 

Zim gritted his teeth. He hated this idea so much, but Midge seemed pretty confident that this would gain Dib's attention. Also, it sounded like Midge was very serious. Of course, he felt he could take her in a fight, but, once again, it would end in way too much trouble. 

"This better be worth it, Midge-shrimp," he grumbled, placing his hand awkwardly on her small waist. A song with a slightly fast pace began to play. 

Midge grinned victoriously. "Wanna bet on it?" She asked. "Fifty Galactic Credits says that Dib will be over here sweeping you off your feet before this song is over." 

Zim squinted an eye, contemplating the offer. He knew Dib better than anyone here. This would probably gain his interest, but as for 'sweeping him off his feet?' A little less likely. "Deal," said Zim with determination. 

"Good," she said. "Now follow my lead." She began to move her feet, pulling Zim forward and back at a steady, but quick pace. Zim found it a bit hard to keep up at first, but quickly caught on. He took care to make sure Midge didn't step on his feet. He didn't want his nice boots to get scuffs on them. 

"You're too stiff," Midge mentioned, shaking his shoulder gently. "Just...loosen up and follow the music." 

Zim narrowed his eyes, but attempted to do as Midge suggested. He found that once he relaxed a bit that it was much easier to follow Midge's movements. Soon he felt the music flowing through him, filling him with a newfound energy. His motions became more confident, and eventually he was able to take the dance over. 

"There you go," Midge said brightly as Zim let go of her waist to spin her. "You catch on fast." 

"Of course I do," Zim said proudly, twirling her out before pulling her back in. "You don't become an Invader by being slow." 

Midge giggled. "I guess not." 

Zim felt a strange smile creep across his face. He certainly hadn't cared for Midge in the beginning, but now he felt a camaraderie with her that felt very unfamiliar. It wasn't like what he had with Dib (nothing could be like what he had with Dib) but he was suddenly very glad that she was here. That she had made it her mission to recruit both him and Dib into Team Nebula. 

It helped that, even if Dib still wasn't looking their way, that Zim found himself having fun. 

 

00000000000000000 

 

"Hey, Dib, " E.J. suddenly called from across the bar, interrupting Dib's impromptu Lazurothian lesson with Matsuri. He looked up to see the engineer sitting with his arm around Yara, nodding his head toward the dance floor. "Your friend's got some moves." 

Dib rose a brow. His friend? Which friend? _Huh, never thought that would be a question_ , he thought, unable to help his smile. However, he could sort of guess who E.J was talking about. Curious, he excused himself from his conversation with Matsuri and made his way over to the dance floor. A small crowd had gathered, but thankfully he was tall, and could see over most of them. 

What he saw made his jaw drop. 

Zim and Midge were dancing. And not only that, Zim was dancing _well_ , spinning Midge here and there and doing a few fancier moves. He couldn't take his eyes away from how Zim moved. How his hips swayed slightly. How his feet found the perfect rhythm. How...Zim was laughing and smiling with someone that wasn't him. 

Something stirred in Dib's gut. Something horrible and illogical. Midge was bonded to someone else. To Dek. Dib told himself that there wasn't anything there, that Zim and Midge were just friends, and that he was being stupid because Zim didn't belong to him or anything... 

But still...he couldn't help the surge of pure jealousy he felt at what he was seeing. 

Then, someone cleared their throat. Dib watched as both Midge and Zim looked over at Dek. The hybrid had his arms folded, looking at Midge like one would look at a child caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Midge just smiled in return and then turned to Zim. "Sorry, Zim. Fun's over." 

Zim waved her off with a grin of his own. "Eh. It wasn't that much fun, anyway.” 

Midge giggled even as Dek took her hand and pulled her close. He shook his head at her, but he didn't appear actually angry. 

Once some of the crowd dispersed enough, Dib made his way forward, coming to the Irken's side. Zim looked up at him. His ruby eyes widened for the fraction of a second before he grinned. "I suppose you saw my superior dance moves, Dib-thing? That's right, I have become the MASTER of the DANCE I will use this power to conquer the entire universe!" 

Dib just stared, trying to figure out what to say. The stupid, _delicious_ dress Zim was wearing was making his brain all muddled. Ugh, he was a certified genius and his intelligence had been completely squished by a purple dress that showed off the skin of his former nemesis. 

Then, Zim took his hand and pulled him forward, nearly causing Dib to topple. "Starting with you," Zim said, positioning one of Dib's hands in his own while his other hand settled on Dib's shoulder. 

Dib's brain tried desperately to catch up. "Wait, what?" 

Zim rolled his eyes. "Just put your hand on my waist, stink-brain." 

Dib glowered, but complied, tentatively placing his hand on Zim's waist. He felt his heart beat increase, feeling like it could break out of his chest at any moment. 

Zim began moving his feet back and forth, confidently picking up his previous rhythm. Dib tripped over himself a couple times at first before finding the pattern. He began to follow Zim flawlessly within a few seconds, grinning with pride. 

"Well, look at that," Zim said teasingly. "I suppose you're not the clumsy fool I thought you were." 

Dib gave him an annoyed look, but he caught on that Zim was challenging him. In a bold move he took over control of their fast pace dance, spinning Zim out before bringing him back in. Zim landed with his back to Dib's torso, Dib’s arms wrapped around him.  

"Coordinated enough for you?" Dib asked, smirking. He was actually impressed that he had pulled that off. 

Zim looked caught off guard for a moment before smirking devilishly. He wiggled his way out of Dib's embrace, taking back control of their dance. Dib felt his hand land on the small of Zim's back, feeling where so much smooth, green skin was readily exposed. He felt like pure fire was going through his veins. 

"If you're trying to impress me," Zim said, his voice suddenly low and seductive, his eyes searing with challenge, "you're going to have to do much better than that." 

In retaliation, Dib pulled Zim closer to him, causing Zim to make a surprised noise. His face flushed dark green and he glared in annoyance. Dib didn't let him voice his complaint, starting to lead the dance with a vigor and grace he hadn't known he had. Zim followed beautifully, mostly because with how Dib was holding him he didn't have much of a choice. 

Dib found himself smiling, feeling something foreign bubble in his stomach. The last time he'd had near this much fun was his last birthday, when his dad had taken him, Gaz and Midge to laser tag. However, he found this even more thrilling, dancing back and forth with Zim, the music coordinating each one of their movements. He met Zim's gaze and found the Irken smiling, chuckling even. Dib's heart soared. 

Toward the end the song, Dib got another burst of confidence. He spun Zim around one last time, only this time making sure he landed in a way where Dib could catch him in a low dip. His arm tightly held Zim up by the waist, leaning over him. He laughed good-naturedly at the glare he received. 

"Oh, yes, laugh it up," Zim complained. "You may have won this time, Dib-stink, but you won't be so lucky next time." 

"I wasn't aware that we had been competing," said Dib, though in all honesty he had known. 

"Tch! And that is why you fail," scoffed Zim. 

Dib just chortled, shaking his head. When looked back at Zim their eyes met. Those ruby eyes were always impossibly deep. Mesmerizing. Hypnotizing. Dib’s hand rested at Zim's back, but the feeling of bare skin paled to the look he received in those orbs. They were so warm. So big and bright. So _wanting_. 

It was yet another moment where time stood still. The other people in the bar, including their crew mates, disappeared completely. All that was left in the universe was him and Zim. Him and this ridiculous, impossibly beautiful creature his arms. Him and the only thing that mattered. The only thing that had ever mattered from the very start. 

When Dib realized that he was leaning in, his face mere inches from Zim's, his blood ran cold.  

No. No, no, no. 

He could handle physical attraction. He could handle fleeting, inappropriate urges. But...this... 

Dib cleared his throat, standing up straight and pulling Zim with him. He pulled away, letting go of Zim's hand. Anxiety washed over him in horrible waves, and he mumbled that he needed some air before walking away, heading outside. 

Polaris was never cold, always kept at a temperature a majority of species could handle. But still, Dib trembled, desperately trying to get a grip on himself. 

This was completely unprecedented. He had been caught completely unaware, and now he had no idea what to do. He felt fear in his gut, crushing his chest. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was one thing to be attracted to Zim, to like the way he looked and want something physical. But, what he had just felt looking into those eyes, what he was feeling right now, it was so much worse than that. 

He was falling for Zim. 

And, oh, he was falling _hard_. 

This couldn’t be happening. He was supposed to get over this. Get over it, finish out this whole thing with Team Nebula, save the universe, go back home, get a better position with the Swollen Eyeball, and maybe, eventually, settle down with some human girl. He wasn’t sure how that was supposed to work, since just about every human girl he knew avoided him, but he was sure that someday, _someone,_ would want to be with him. 

 _Someone wants to be with_ _you right_ _now,_ whispered a little voice in his head. 

Dib shook it off, shoved it down. He wouldn’t give in to this. Things were fine the way they were. Attempting to push things further would only end badly. There was no way it could work out. They constantly fought and were quite literally from two different worlds. They’d probably end up hating each other again. 

Dib had spent a long time being hurt and disappointed by the people around him. His father, his classmates, school staff (namely Dwicky, wherever hell that son of bitch was.) He wasn’t about to just open himself up to be hurt again. Zim already had such a hold on him. The idea of giving him more was too terrifying to fathom. 

So, he wouldn’t. He would keep himself guarded, as he always did. 

Because that was the smart thing to do. 

That was the safe thing to do… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to start singing Mimi's parts of "Another Day" from Rent at Dib. No really.


	16. Chapter 16

Zim found himself frozen as he watched Dib stride away, disappearing out the front door. He was confused. He could have sworn he saw something light up in those golden eyes, something that made Zim’s insides squirm and flutter. He could have sworn Dib had been leaning closer, his eyes at half-mast, looking very much like he was going to kiss him. 

Then, in a flash it was gone and so was Dib, walking away and acting nervous and stupid. Zim’s mouth became a thin line and his brow furrowed. What had happened? Had he done something wrong? 

No. Of course not. Zim was amazing. It was Dib who was being horrible. 

He heard a sharp whistle from beyond the crowd and looked over at the source. Midge caught his gaze as she danced with Dek, her white eyebrows raised and her eyes shifting to the door, urging Zim to go after Dib. At first, Zim hesitated. Why should he go after that brainless sack of meat? What was the point? Dib would just continue to be the stupid jerk he was. Why even bother, anymore? 

Because Zim knew he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop this if he tried... 

Zim continued to stare out at the door and scowled. He hadn’t imagined it. Something had been there in Dib’s eyes as they danced, as he had held him in that low dip. He had seen that face come the smallest bit closer, seen those pale lips part the tiniest bit. A raging flood of determination came over Zim, and he began to stomp to the door. 

No. He would not give up on this. He would not give up on Dib. 

As he pushed the door open harshly, he saw the human jump. Zim let the door slam shut, not really caring about damaging property. He made his expression as fierce as possible, though Dib already looked like a nervous wreck. 

“Geez, Zim,” said Dib. He was tense and shaking. Fearful. “You scared the crap out of me-,” 

“What is your problem?” Zim demanded, in no mood to beat around the bush. 

Dib opened his mouth and closed it a couple times. Zim could almost see the gears turning in the human’s head. “What are you talking about?” 

Zim snarled. “What am I talking about? How about the fact that you’ve been ignoring me since we left the Academy this evening? And then, as soon as I finally have your undivided attention, you suddenly shut down and run away!” 

Dib glared. “I’m not running away-,” 

“Yes. You. Are!” Zim roared, stomping forward until he had to crane his neck to meet Dib’s eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on in that gigantic head of yours, but you are not allowed to run away from Zim!” 

Dib averted his gaze as Zim got close, looking down at nothing. That wouldn’t do, at all. “Look, Zim, could we not do this right now?” 

Zim grabbed Dib by the collar of his shirt, shaking him fiercely. “So you can attempt to ignore me further? Tch! Not a chance!” His already paper thin patience was fading. Why did he put up with this horrible creature again? How in Irk’s name had he fallen for such a terrible beast! 

Zim realized then how close they were, the smallest distance between their faces. It would be so easy to pull Dib down, to attack that mouth with his, to make the awful human understand the absolute torture Zim had endured for three years because of him. 

However, before Zim could say to hell with it and go through with his mind’s insane suggestion, something flitted out of the corner of his eye. He looked up toward the sky, seeing a strange pink light hovering past the rings around Polaris, blinking on and off. 

Ships weren’t an anomaly. Polaris was a space station, after all. But this one didn’t appear to be landing or to be taking off. It was simply loitering in the sky. The blinking pink light seemed familiar, and he searched his PAK’s database to retrieve the information. 

“Zim?” Dib questioned. 

Zim realized he still had a hold of Dib’s shirt and quickly let go of it. His previous goal would have to wait. If that ship was what he thought it was, they were in trouble. “Look up at that ship. Tell me what kind it is.” 

Dib hesitated but obeyed, looking up in the direction Zim indicated. He adjusted the dial on his goggles with slow precision before frowning deeply. “Shit.” 

Zim felt his squeedlyspooch turn. “What?” 

Dib turned back to him, eyes full of fear. “It’s Irken.” 

Zim growled low in his throat. That wasn’t good. That ship was far away enough to be barely spotted but close enough to get a view of people below. The entire Empire was out after Dek, if not all of Team Nebula. If they got a good glimpse of any of them, it wouldn’t be hard to put two and two together. 

“Come on, dirt-child,” Zim ordered, slapping the human’s chest with the back of his hand. 

“Wait, Zim!” Dib called, dashing to keep up with the sprinting Irken. 

“Is your ship functional yet?” Zim asked over his shoulder, not even slowing to allow the human to catch up. 

“Um, no,” Dib answered, uncertain. “I’m still waiting for the power source to come in.” 

“Curses. We’ll have to do this the hard way.” 

Dib didn’t like the sound of that. “And what does that mean?” 

Zim ignored him, continuing his fast pace. Once Dib realized they were on their way to the ship hanger, he found his voice once more. “Zim, we’re not allowed in air space for, like, another month!” 

“Are you really going to worry about that right now?!” Zim shouted. “If that ship figures out this space station holds Team Nebula’s headquarters we might as well be space trash!” 

Dib opened his mouth once more as his communicator began to beep. He read the name on the display and pushed the button to answer the call. “What’s up, Midge?” 

“Where did you two go?” Midge asked. Her image on the screen looked beyond suspicious. 

Dib figured honesty was the best policy. “There’s an Irken ship hovering just outside Polaris’ rings.” 

Midge’s blue eyes widened. “Oh, shit.” 

“Yeah,” Dib said. “Zim’s got a plan by the sound of it, though.” Dib didn’t know what it was, but Midge didn’t need to know that. 

"Okay, then, where are you?" she asked, raising a brow.

Before Dib could answered Zim yelled, "No where that concerns you, Midge-weasel!"

Midge's eyes wandered about the screen for a moment before they narrowed darkly. "Are you two in the ship hanger?"

"Uh, no?" Dib replied nervously.

"Are you crazy?! The two of you can't just go up there by yourselves!"

“We can’t go off scrambling a bunch of ships after them!” Zim protested. “If we do, they will see us coming and be gone before we can even shoot it down!” 

"And exactly how do you plan to get up there without authorization?" she asked.

Zim suddenly snatched the communicator from Dib’s hand, agitated from Midge’s incessant whining. “Sorry, Midge-goon, you’re breaking up!” he shouted into the device. 

“No, I’m not!” Midge shrieked. “Look, just get back here and we can-,” 

“Can’t hear you through this DOOKIE piece of scrap!” 

“Would you just listen to me you-,"

Zim hung up. 

“You know, I think she was actually trying to help," Dib pointed out, taking his communicator back.

"She was trying to get us to go back, which would only waste time," Zim scoffed. "Besides, we don't need her help. I'm amazing and...you're with me. So you'll be fine, too."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Alright, then, Mr. Amazing," he asked sarcastically, "how _are_ we going to get up there without authorization?"

Zim smirked viciously, unable to help the thrill of Dib calling him amazing, even in that undesirable tone. “I figured that was obvious, silly monkey," he said. “I told you we would be doing this the hard way.” He then approached one of the unsupervised ships, opened it up, and hopped inside. 

A part of Dib felt like he should have expected this. “We can’t just steal a ship, Zim!” 

“Of course we can!” Zim replied casually, beginning to press some buttons on the console in the cockpit. “If you want to back out I most _certainly_ won’t judge you.” 

Dib knew all too well how big of a lie that was. The Irken was just riling him up so he would concede and go with him. There wasn’t much need, however. “I’m not about to let you go by yourself,” he said, climbing into the ship beside Zim. 

“Hey!” called one of the engineers from the floor. He came toward the ship Dib and Zim had claimed at a run. 

“Time to go!” Zim said, pressing a button to close the ship. Dib buckled himself in as Zim got the ship started. He steered it carefully, making sure not to run over the idiots in the way. Did they really think standing in the way was going to stop them? 

Once they were outside the hanger, Zim pushed another button and shoved a lever. The ship picked up the pace, gliding across the ground quickly, before rising up into the sky. Once they were just outside Polaris, Zim brought up a holographic screen. “Now where is that ship,” he thought aloud. 

Dib squinted, scanning the area of space they were cruising in. He could feel his communicator vibrate again but chose to ignore it. No matter what Midge had to say it was too late now. 

Beyond the screen and Polaris’ large rings, Dib could make out one blinking pink light among a field of bright, white stars. He adjusted the dial on his goggles for a better look. No doubt. It was the same ship. “There!” 

Zim grinned. He knew making Dib those goggles would turn out to be beneficial. He toyed with some more buttons and levers. “Hold on, human,” he warned, shoving one switch forward with ferocity. The ship jumped in speed, blasting off toward the Irken ship. And apparently, they noticed, doing a somersault and taking off away from the space station. 

“It’s getting away!” Dib yelled, feeling anxious. 

“Not if I can help it!” shouted Zim, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Take over steering while I handle the weapons.” 

“What? Gah!” Dib had only a second to react as Zim crawled over him and push him into the pilot’s seat. He grabbed onto the wheel haphazardly. "Have you lost your mind?!"

“Quit whining and catch that ship!” Zim retorted, bringing up the targeting screen.  

Dib growled. It took a moment for him to get used to the handling of the ship, but he managed before they could go careening into one of the nearby asteroids. “Why couldn’t _I_ just handle the weapons?” he complained. 

“Because I said so!” Zim hollered, his hands hitting buttons rapidly. 

Dib rolled his eyes but said nothing else, focusing on keeping up with the fleeing Irken ship. It took a particularly sharp turn, right into the asteroid belt. Dib tensed. He’d maneuvered around asteroids before in simulations back at the Academy, but…this wasn’t a simulation. He took a breath and followed the ship, doing his best to maneuver around the floating rocks. He winced when he felt the ship graze against one of the smaller ones. 

“Would you watch where you’re going, stink for brains?!” Zim scolded as they were jostled mildly. 

“I’m trying!” Dib insisted. 

“Don’t you humans have a saying about that? Do or do not, or some nonsense?” 

“Seriously, is your research on humans just watching our movies?!” 

“Is you head abnormally large?!” 

“My head’s not-,” Dib was cut off as something else hit the ship, throwing them sideways. Dib regained control, barely missing yet another asteroid. “They’re firing at us!” 

“Really?!” Zim screamed sarcastically. “I completely didn’t notice!” He ignored the glare Dib threw his way and pressed something on his targeting screen, his ruby eyes narrowing in concentration. The targeting system made a beeping noise as it jumped around on the screen before locking on the Irken ship. He smirked victoriously, using his freehand to grab the nearest lever and squeeze the green trigger. A shot of red flew from their own ship, hitting the Irken one squarely on the right wing. 

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Zim cackled. “You were a fool to think you could escape Zim’s mighty wrath! A STUPID, DISGUSTING FOOL!” 

Dib eyed him out of his peripheral. “You know they can’t here you, right?” 

“Silence your noise tube and land this vessel, Dib!” 

Dib sighed roughly, watching as the ship crashed on one of the larger asteroids. “We need to work on your manners, Space Boy,” he mentioned. 

“Zim’s manners are perfect!” Zim protested. 

They landed on the asteroid with a bit of stutter, Dib struggling to figure out the proper controls. Zim gave him an annoyed look, which he completely ignored. He did, however, pay attention when Zim made to throw the door to the ship open. “I can’t breathe in space, stupid!” he complained, forcing the Irken to sit back down. 

Zim frowned. What was this Earth-monkey talking about? “Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone can breathe in space!” 

“Just because you can doesn’t mean everyone can,” Dib informed exasperatedly. He dug around behind the seats and located a space suit, complete with a helmet. He awkwardly pulled it on over his outfit, fitting the helmet over his head. He briefly thought about using this as proof that his head was totally normal sized, but pushed that aside. _Focus, Dib._  

“You humans are so inconvenient,” Zim remarked as they both finally exited the ship. “It’s a wonder I put up with you.” 

Dib rolled his eyes, the two of them making their way toward the adjacent wreckage. “Yeah, a wonder indeed,” he muttered. He watched as Zim pulled a gun from his PAK, and Dib suddenly felt very stupid. He hadn’t even thought about weapons. Well, luckily, Zim always had some on hand. 

They exchanged looks as they stood in front of the ship. Zim gave Dib a nod, and the human pressed a panel that looked similar to the one on Tak’s ship. The hatch popped open, revealing a lifeless looking Irken who was covered in bright pink blood. 

“Is he dead?” Dib asked warily. 

Zim shook his head. “Just unconscious.” He put his gun back in his PAK. “We need to take advantage of this.” 

Dib rose a brow. “Shouldn’t we deactivate his tracker?” he asked, already pulling out his equipment. He’d made himself a super small portable tablet one day while the hanger had been under maintenance and he’d been left bored. He also pulled out a universal USB cord that had pretty much any plug he would need. 

“First,” Zim said matter-of-factly, “we need to deactivate his BRB.” 

Dib gave Zim a confused looked. “BRB?” 

Zim tensed. He had never told Dib about this, and now he knew that the human had never discovered it for himself. He had a feeling deep in his gut that Dib was not going to like this. “Big Red Button,” he explained reluctantly, reaching over to shove the unconscious soldier onto his stomach. He pushed the panel that opened the PAK up and Dib got to work connecting everything. “All Irken’s are outfitted with one. We are to use it in case we are ever captured.” 

Dib paused, his hand still on the plug that he had inserted into the nameless PAK. Something told him he didn’t want to know, that he would regret asking, but his curiosity won out. “What does it do?” 

Zim set his jaw, clenched and unclenched his hands. He knew if he didn’t just explain, the human would just become a nuisance. “If…if an Irken is ever captured, they are to use the BRB to make sure the enemy can’t access anything in their PAK.” He shuffled his feet, staring more at Dib’s hands as they hacked away than at Dib, himself. “It…well, it blows us up.” 

Dib stopped typing on the tablet, his head slowly turning to face Zim. The information sunk in slowly, like a thick poison. Anger erupted in his chest. Did the Irken Empire value its people that little? Seriously, the more he learned about it, the more he wanted to completely crush it. 

Then, a harrowing thought struck Dib. “Do you have one?” he asked Zim. 

Zim looked up, disliking the look he received from those golden eyes. A mixture of concern and rage and…something else. Something deeper. He hesitated, not wanting to answer. 

Dib scowled at Zim’s silence. “Zim, do you have a Big Red Button?” 

Zim sighed. There was no getting around this. “I told you. All Irken’s are outfitted with one.” 

The anger in Dib’s chest burned even more, filling him with white hot rage on Zim’s behalf. This government, this terrible entity, saw Zim as nothing more than a tool for destruction, as nothing more than a replaceable drone. He desperately wanted to punch something. 

Zim could see it all in those burning golden eyes. “Now is not the time, Dib,” Zim said sternly. “We need to do this first. Who knows when he will wake up?” 

Dib almost didn’t care. His fury was all encompassing. However, he also knew Zim was right. So, he shoved his anger down for now and got back to work, hacking through a numerous blocks the PAK had. He felt his communicator vibrate in his back pocket and groaned. “Could you get that, Zim?” 

“Why should I?” Zim complained. 

“Because if I don’t stay focused I could easily blow us up,” replied Dib plainly. 

Zim snarled but complied, reaching into Dib’s back pocket and pulling out his communicator. Dib ignored the flush in his cheeks when Zim’s hand brushed against his butt. 

“What is it, foul snow-child?!” Zim screamed as he pressed the answer button. 

“Do I look like a snow-child to you,” asked Dek. Dib cringed. He sounded pissed. 

“Ah, greetings, Captain!” Zim said happily. “You’ll be happy to know that we have captured the filthy, spying Irken and will soon be bringing him into custody!” 

“You shouldn’t be taking _anyone_ into custody!” Dek scolded. “You two shouldn’t even be off Polaris! Not only that, you stole a ship! Have you completely lost your-,” 

Dib heard a beep, signaling that Zim had hung up. “Irk, he talks more than you do,” Zim remarked. 

“I don’t talk that much,” Dib argued. 

“Lies! You’d ramble on for days if someone didn’t shut you up!” 

“Please, like you’re one to talk. All you ever do is rant and complain.” 

“Nonsense! I speak only words of greatness!” 

Dib gave him an unimpressed look. “About yourself.” 

“Well, it’s not my fault that the world needs to be reminded how AMAZING I am!” 

Dib sighed loudly, finishing up with deactivating the Big Red Button before moving on to the tracker. Once he was done he unplugged everything and closed the PAK up. He heard the communicator buzz again. 

“Apologies, Captain,” Zim said mockingly. “I’m afraid we lost you there.” 

“Bull shit!” Dek yelled. “You hung up on me!” 

“Nope, sorry, can’t hear you. We’ll be heading back soon!” Zim hung up again. 

Dib couldn’t help but snort. They were in so much trouble, but he couldn’t help but find the situation funny. “You know we’re dead when we get back, right?” 

“Eh, we’ve had worse,” Zim said nonchalantly. “Now, come on, Dib-smell. Let’s get our new prisoner situated before he wakes up and mutilates us both.” 

Dib frowned. “I’m not carrying him by myself.” 

“You will do as your future overlord commands!” 

 

0000000000000000 

 

They had expected Dek to yell at them. They had expected Midge's disbelief and frustration. However, when they were both being borderline dragged to Director Adalet’s office, Dib began to have his fist twinge of fear. He actually really like it here on Polaris, with his new friends and crew mates. Would Adalet send them back to Earth for this? 

Zim, however, was far less subdued, spitting threats and insults as they rode the elevator up. He didn’t stop until he and Dib were outside the office, seated side by side on a rather uncomfortable bench. 

“Well,” Dib said pointedly. “We did steal a ship.” 

“Ungrateful fools,” Zim grumbled. “Do they not realize how terrible things could have been if that scout had escaped?” 

“I think they’re more upset that we disobeyed orders,” Dib said matter-of-factly. “And that we stole ship.” 

“Ugh! We wouldn’t have had to if you would finish your stupid ancient ship faster!” Zim retorted. 

“I’m waiting on the power source!” Dib shrieked defensively. “It had to be special ordered!” 

“Because you chose to work on a ship that’s older than space itself!” 

“She’s not that old!” Dib argued. “And when she’s finished you’ll be so jealous. She’ll make your Voot Cruiser look like something out of a junkyard.” 

“You are a junkyard!” 

Dib groaned, pushing his goggles up on top of his head to rub his eyes and face. Why, out of everyone in the entire universe, did it have to be this stupid, obnoxious alien that had gained his affections? 

He managed to shake those thoughts away in favor a more pressing matter, remembering something he and Zim had talked about while on that asteroid. He pulled his goggles back down and fixed Zim with a serious look. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Big Red Button?” 

Zim’s insides jolted at the question. He had been hoping that they could just forget about that. “It wasn’t relevant.” 

Dib instantly felt outraged. “Wasn’t – Zim, you literally have a suicide button on you!” 

“And it doesn’t matter anymore!” Zim argued. “It’s not like I have any reason to use it! We’re on the same side, now, in case you have forgotten!” 

Dib set his jaw. He knew what he wanted to do. What he wanted Zim to let him do. “Then let me deactivate it.” He didn’t like Zim having that button on him. He was literally a walking bomb. 

Zim grimaced. He disliked Dib’s tone greatly. “Do you not trust me?” The idea actually made him sick. He wanted Dib to trust him, even if past events argued against it. 

“No…I mean,” Dib stammered. Zim had done quite a bit to show that he was no longer loyal to the Tallest or the Empire. He had even just stopped a potential threat. “That’s not what this is about,” Dib explained, meeting Zim’s eyes. 

Zim tapped his finger on his knee impatiently. “Then what is it about?” 

Dib slammed his fist on the seat of the bench. “This is about me not wanting you to blow yourself up for one stupid reason or another!” 

Zim glared lethally. This human had some nerve. “Do you really think I would be so hasty? Do you think so little of me?!” 

“No! Look why can’t you just-,” 

Zim cut him off, his frustration at its peak. There was no other way to make Dib understand except the truth, regardless of how reluctant Zim was to tell it. “Everything I learn, Dib – _everything_ – people, places, any and all information is stored in my PAK,” he explained. Of course, he knew that Dib already knew this. He was just trying to make a point. “I am seen as a traitor to the Empire at this point. If I am ever captured, I will not allow that information to end up in the hands of the Brains.” 

Dib stared, dumbstruck. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You…you would actually do that for Team Nebula?” 

Zim resisted the urge to punch Dib in his stupid face. Getting into a fight would not make the human understand, but it was very tempting. How could this horrible being be so intelligent and yet so, so stupid?! 

“No,” Zim said, conviction coating his every word. His squeedlyspooch jumped and he almost chickened out. But he pressed onward. He was tired of hiding it. “Not for Team Nebula.” He kept his gaze firmly on Dib’s, unwavering, unafraid. 

Dib stared back, his mind trying to compute Zim’s meaning. His chest ached, once he realized what Zim was saying, his eyes widening despite himself. It hit him all at once like a bucket of ice water. He thought he’d had it all figured, thought he could sweep it all under the rug and forget its existence until all of this was over. He had not counted on this. He couldn’t have possibly predicted how gravely he had underestimated Zim’s feelings for him. 

This…this wasn’t just a crush. If the inferno in Zim’s ruby orbs was any indicator, if Dib had interpreted Zim’s declaration correctly… 

All at once, Dib felt overwhelmed, so much so that he felt physically ill. He couldn’t bring himself to even think it, to even draw the conclusion. It was terrifying and insane and he had no idea what to do. 

Luckily, before Dib could have a complete meltdown, the door to Adalet’s office opened and Dek stepped out. He no longer looked so much pissed as he did exasperated. “Come on,” he ordered, nodding for Dib and Zim to follow him. They both rose from their seats and made their way inside. Director Adalet was leaning on her desk, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Dek pressed the button to shut the door before leaning against the back wall. 

“I don’t think I need to explain how much trouble to two of you are in,” Adalet told them firmly. “Taking a ship without authorization is enough to get an official agent suspended, and you two haven’t finished your probationary training. You endangered several lives, including your own, shot down an enemy spacecraft without permission, then took upon yourselves to take the pilot prisoner.” 

“We did deactivate his tracker and BRB,” Zim reminded the Director. They weren’t completely irresponsible. 

He ignored the glare Dib gave him. 

Adalet didn’t look impressed, either. “I have half a mind to send you both back to Earth,” she grumbled, shaking her head. “However, after conferring with the Galactic Council, that won’t be the case.” 

Dib looked up from the floor, allowing himself to hope just a bit. 

“In fact,” Adalet continued, smiling slightly. “I’ve been giving permission to end your probations early.” 

Dib gaped. “Really?!” 

“Really,” Adalet confirmed. “You’ll have to take a finishing exam, and continue your personal training sessions with Captain Dek and Dr. Cuppari, but besides that from this moment on, you two are official members of Team Nebula.” 

Zim pumped his fist into the air. “Yes! Victory for Zim!” 

Dib nudged him. “Hey, you didn’t do this alone!” 

“Eh. I guess you helped a bit.” 

Adalet gave a soft chuckle before looking up at Dek. “Well, Captain, their all yours.” 

Dek grimaced. “Lucky me.” 

 

000000000000000000 

 

They walked in silence from the Director’s office. Even with the joyous news that they were being made real agents and not being sent back to Earth, there was a tension to the air. Dib noticed how Dek wouldn’t look at either of them, keeping his gaze straight ahead. 

Once they were in the elevator, Dek finally spoke. “I’m going to tell you right now,” he told the two of them sternly, “that only happened back there because the Council is getting restless for some results.” 

Dib cocked a brow at that. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, that they’re ready for us to start getting more aggressive,” explained Dek. “I’ll be calling Lard Nar tonight to see if he has any new information. We need to start attacking the Brains. Soon.” He gave Dib a direct look. “Which means we need you now rather than later.” 

Dib looked elsewhere, not needing it spelled out for him. Apparently some political crap had just happened for them to basically be rewarded for breaking the rules. He knew he should be happy that it had benefitted him, but he couldn’t help but feel gross about the whole thing. 

“Your Council sounds like a bunch of impatient fools,” Zim remarked, annoyed. 

Dek looked just as irritated. “It’s election year,” he informed them. “Everyone’s scrambling around trying to make it look like they have a grip on the situation, including the two numbskulls running for High Chancellor. One’s too kind and optimistic for her own good, and the other is a radical, big-mouthed idiot who thinks the answer is the Empire’s complete annihilation.” His face scrunched in disgust, continuing to walk with Dib and Zim as they approached their dorms. “He’s painting Irkens in general as the enemy. It doesn’t help that people are scared. The Galactic Alliance has a formidable fleet, but the Irken Armada is never to be underestimated.” 

Dib felt like a dark cloud had suddenly started hovering above them, ominous and waiting. He hadn’t been prepared to enter this world of racism, politics and fear. He had kind of hoped the rest of universe had evolved beyond that. He realized now that he had been very, very wrong. 

“My point is, things are about to get very real very quickly,” Dek told them, turning to face the brand new official agents. His gaze shift back and forth between them. If Dib didn’t know any better, he would say Dek looked…worried. “Just…prepare yourselves.” 

With that, he stalked off. Dib watched him go before looking back at Zim. He had a very serious expression as their gazes met. The previous joy they had felt at becoming full-fledged Team Nebula agents was completely gone, replaced with pure dread. 

This most definitely wasn’t a game anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dat moment when a fanfiction gets way too fucking real...


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there’s gonna be a couple small YuGiOh references from here which may or may not end up being relevant in a later installment of this series *is totally not hinting at crossover things* 
> 
> Also, the lovely @peabnaut over on Tumblr is going to start drawing art for this story! So if you don’t follow them go follow them! (And I still legit can’t even about it like I’m probably gonna spontaneously combust from excitement GAH!) 
> 
> Also, also I have a Tumblr in case you care it's @catlyngunn but if you don't care whatevs k thx bye

The exams they had to take weren’t too hard, just an overview of everything they had learned. E.J. had no problem excusing Dib from any further classes, but still wanted to see his progress on the Astor. 

“I mean, once you get the power source in,” E.J. said with a grin. “You should have this up and going no problem.” 

Dib beamed. “I can still keep it when I’m done, right?” 

“Of course,” replied E.J. “But I gotta see it fly. Off the ground and into space. And not explode.” 

Dib nodded. He was confident he could get the Astor going. As for preventing an explosion…well, he’d just have to triple check everything. That definitely wasn’t how he wanted to go out. 

He and Zim also got new uniforms, the same style but in the same smoky blue as the rest of the crew. Dib was certain that once he started walking around in it that the hostility from the others at the Academy would increase again. However, he was surprised that it did not. Given, he and Zim did still have some lingering hateful stares, but apparently their little stunt had been top gossip, and hearing that the Irken they’d been so worried about stopped one of his own kind for their sake seemed to be enough to get them to stop being assholes. 

Though, Dib would never tell them that he knew the truth. It hadn’t been for them. None of it ever was. 

He and Zim hadn’t talked about any of the other events from that night. The talk with Dek, the dance, the almost kiss. It was all swept away as if it hadn’t happened. However, now Dib didn't know what to do. It had been one thing to ignore his own feelings when he was certain Zim just had some misguided crush on him. But, now he knew the truth. The truth that he was so desperately trying not to see. 

“Dib!” Gaz scolded as Dib let another monster attack her. They’d made a habit of playing video games while they chatted. Both of them being highly intelligent came in handy when they wanted to tweak technology to play together across several galaxies. Dib was sure he could use this technology for something more beneficial, but for now he would just have fun. 

“Sorry,” he replied sheepishly, moving his character over to help his sister.  

Gaz’s eye twitched from the small window in the corner. “Geez, I know you suck at this game but you’re never this bad,” she drawled, easily saving herself before Dib got there. “I know things are stressful there, right now, but you seem pretty distracted.” 

Dib had already told Gaz about everything else – officially joining Team Nebula, the progress on the Astor, the crazy politics that were pulling the strings. He had done some research on the two candidates for High Chancellor, and found he agreed completely with Dek. Councilwoman Lumia Destiel of the planet Roden had many revolutionary ideas, centered on tolerance and not letting fear rule. Unfortunately, she was young and inexperienced, and her opponent, Councilman Ra’ask of Oraiste, had managed to dig up some super old scandal that had no relevance. He pretty much had the complete opposite approach, insisting that completely eliminating the Irken Empire was the only option. 

However, Dib had not told Gaz what was going on with Zim, and even now he hesitated to do so. 

Gaz pressed something on the side, closing the game and enlarging her window so her image took up the whole screen. She gave Dib a severe look. “Either start talking or I will send you to the Shadow Realm.” 

Dib rose a brow. “Shadow Realm?” 

“Never mind. Just spill it before I build a teleporter just so I can go over there and spill your guts.” 

Dib didn’t put it past his sister to do that. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, prepared for her to laugh her ass off. 

“I think Zim is in love with me.” 

There was an extremely thick silence, one where Dib’s anxiety only grew and grew. He instantly regretted saying anything, especially with the blank stare Gaz was fixing him with. 

Then, she gave him the most blatant ‘are you stupid?’ look he had ever seen. “Are you really _just_ figuring that out?” she asked incredulously. 

Dib was taken aback. “You knew?!” he gasped. “How the hell did you know?” 

“I think the real question is how did you _not_ know,” Gaz replied. “I mean, seriously Dib? He’s been pining over you for years.” 

That made Dib’s insides freeze. There was no way. “ _Years?”_  

Gaz looked like she was about ready to throttle him. It wasn’t like it was his fault! “I think you underestimate how much I watch the two of you,” she explained. “Over the years I noticed things were changing. All I had to do was look at the way you looked at each other.” Her nose crinkled in distaste. “Yours always stayed sort of creepy, but around a couple years ago it sort of gained this predatory stare to it-,” 

“How can you call me creepy when you notice stuff like that?” Dib interrupted. 

“Not important,” said Gaz sharply. “My point is that around about three or four years ago I noticed that Zim was looking at you differently. It was after we got back from that family vacation. I don’t know. It wasn’t how he used to look at you. And as time went on it got…more potent.” 

Dib thought back to that summer they’d taken that trip up north, one of the only real family vacations they’d had. He had been going on fifteen then, and was just starting the terrible beginnings of puberty. “My growth spurt started around then,” he thought aloud. “That’s it, Gaz! His race values height! He must just find my taller stature preferable!” 

Gaz let her face fall into her hands, groaning loudly. Dib frowned. What was her problem? 

“Are you really trying to find a logical explanation for this?” she asked, sounding frustrated. “Zim’s in love with you. Not your stupid height or your stupid big head. _You_.” 

Dib’s brief moment of triumph faded quickly. He’d thought he’d had it figured out, that maybe it was just Zim’s weird instincts making him want Dib. But...Gaz sounded so sure about it being so much more. “How do you know?” he asked. 

Gaz pounded her fist on the desk in front of her. The sound made Dib jump. “I know because he’s the only person able to tolerate you for long periods of time! I know because he constantly goes out of his way to have your undivided attention! I know because he looks at you like you’re the only thing that matters in the entire universe!” 

Dib swallowed, his hands beginning to shake. He couldn’t help but think back to the conversation he’d had with Zim before meeting with Adalet, when Zim had explained why he kept his Big Red Button. 

 _“No. Not for Team Nebula.”_  

Reality - cold, merciless reality, fell on Dib like a collapsing building, burying him in everything he’d been brushing off. Everything he’d been denying. He tried shake it off, but he was already drowning. “I…I never saw it,” he nearly whispered. 

Gaz's expression became softer, maybe even pity filled. “Did you never see it, Dib? Or were you just too scared to see it?” 

Dib’s heart jolted. He didn’t want to face this. He didn’t want to admit it. But Gaz was never gentle with him, and she never tolerated her brother’s need to just brush things off to make life easier. And here she had made sure to not only shove everything in his face, but to present to him with what the real problem had been all along. 

He was scared. 

Scared of getting close. Scared of being hurt. Scared of hurting the one person to ever…to ever love him, despite knowing his long list of flaws inside and out. He was scared of the future. Scared of screwing up. Scared of the other hundred million things that he just knew could go wrong. 

“I…I need to call you back, Gaz,” he stammered, already reaching for the button to end the call. 

Gaz sighed through her nose. “Don’t let your brain explode, alright?” 

Dib just nodded, turning the communication off as he leaned back in his seat. He tried to organize his thoughts, tried to put together some way he could just keep going as he had before: blissfully unaware. He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, unable to think of anything that could get him through this impossible situation. 

Zim was in love with him. 

He was falling for Zim in return. 

And he was completely terrified. 

He remembered the Orok around Midge’s neck, remembered what it symbolized. Anything he had learned about Irken courtship here at the Academy had been nothing that Midge hadn’t already told him. He lifted his goggles and pinched the bridge of his nose. General information wouldn’t help him here. What he needed was advice. 

Preferably from someone with firsthand experience. 

 

000000000000 

 

“So what do you think?” Dib asked as he and Midge entered the ship hanger. The Astor no longer sat hidden in the shadows covered in dust. Now it sat proudly on the main floor, the bright lights gleaming off the new grayish-blue paint job. Dib couldn’t help the flutter of excitement when he saw the package he’d been waiting on sitting just underneath: the power source that would finally get the ship going. 

Midge tilted her head up, examining the ship with a neutral expression. After a few moments, she quirked a brow. “It kind of looks like those dolphin things on Earth.” 

Dib gaped at her. “It does not!” 

“Sure it does,” she continued, physically pointing out each similarity. “There’s the nose, and the head and then that looks like-,” 

“Why am I friends with you again?” Dib asked half-heartedly, pushing Midge’s hand down. He walked over to the nearby wall and pulled on his safety gear. The power source he had found emitted low forms of radiation once installed, so staying protected was a must. “Just wait until I get her off the ground,” Dib told Midge as he opened the case on the floor. “You’ll be so jealous.” 

Midge stood a good distance away, shrugging at Dib’s statement. “Ships aren’t really my thing,” she said. “Dek, though. He’ll probably be pretty jealous.” 

Dib glanced at Midge out of the corner of his eye. “How can you not like ships?” he asked incredulously. 

“It’s not that I don’t like ships,” Midge replied. “I’m just not good with mechanics.” She pushed herself up to sit on one of the work stations. “Which begs the question, why am I here?” 

Dib froze. He had definitely asked Midge to come with him today for a reason, but his stomach began to bubble with nerves. “Er…to help me with the ship?” 

Midge gave him a pointed look. “Yeah. Try again.” 

“Uh…moral support?” 

“Dib,” Midge insisted, leaning forward a bit, “why am I here?” 

Dib sighed loudly. He remained silent for a moment, contemplating his words as he finished installing the power source. The cube glowed bright red, showing it was properly secured. He smiled slightly, closing up the panel before pulling off the protective drape and gloves. He looked back at Midge, finding her looking at him expectantly.  

“I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something,” Dib finally admitted, shuffling nervously. 

Midge propped her elbow on her knee, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand. “Okay…?” 

Dib furrowed his brow, looking down at the ground. He tried to think of the best way to get his point across. “I just…I don’t,” he sighed roughly, giving up and just stating quietly, “I don’t what to do.” 

Midge looked mildly concerned. “About?” 

Dib found himself fidgeting. “…Zim,” he finally muttered. 

Midge's eyes widened. "Oh," she said, her brow furrowing. "Well, what do you want to do?"  

"Huh?" 

"What do you want to do? Because, I'll tell you right now getting an Irken in the middle of _Salvis_ to back off is pretty much impossible-," 

"No, I..." Dib interrupted, still struggling to find his words. "I...I don't want him to back off. I..." He kept moving his hands nervously. "I want to know the proper way to...progress things." He figured if he had a better idea of what he was getting into, maybe he wouldn't feel so anxious about the whole thing. 

Midge stared at him for a bit before she suddenly began laughing softly. Dib frowned. "I really don't need you laughing at me right now," he told her. 

"I'm not laughing at you," she reassured. "I'm laughing because Dek owes me so much money." Her expression became thoughtful. "Actually Zim does, too, come to think of it." 

"Why does Zim owe you money?" He asked, feeling suspicious. “In fact, why does Dek owe you money? What were you betting on?” 

“Not relevant," Midge replied dismissively. "You wanna know what the next step is, right?" 

Dib knew Midge was just dodging his question, but he figured the information he sought was more important than whatever Midge had been up to. "...Yes." 

Midge tapped her chin thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out where to begin. When she looked back at Dib, a strange smile played across her face. “How about I tell you a story.” 

“Okay…” he conceded uncertainly. 

Midge's gaze became a little distant as she spoke. “About three weeks into Dek being on Lazuroth, and helping us with our cause, I noticed he was starting to act strange toward me.” She smiled and shook her head. “He’d start bragging about his accomplishments out of nowhere. He’d show off these gadgets I knew little to nothing about. He’d even start arguments with me.” She giggled. “Those were funny, because whenever I would get mad enough to stomp away, he would grab my arm and start apologizing profusely.” 

Dib rose a brow. “What?” 

“I think sometimes his Irken side and his Vortian side conflict with one another,” she told him with a shrug. “I think it’s kind of adorable.” She paused for a moment before continuing her story. “Well, one day Sigi threw a disk at me and told me to educate myself. When I did, I learned that Dek was trying to court me. 

“And, at first, I didn’t know what to do. I only understood how to be friends and comrades with males because I ran away so much as a child to see my brothers. But the idea of…being more was something I had never considered. It was strange and frightening. I liked Dek, and I found him attractive, but I barely even understood _that_. So…I sort of brushed it off for a while. There were more important things going on, after all.” 

Dib ignored the twisting in his gut as Midge spoke. The similarities between the way they had handled their respective situations were almost eerie. 

“Well, one day, I got into a fight with one of my brothers,” Midge continued. “Not Drun or Sigi, but one of the others who could never make up their mind about if they liked me or not. He called me a coward. Told me I wasn’t doing enough for the revolution. That as the princess I should have plenty of power to change things and I needed to use it. Along with a few awful insults in-between." Her expression had fallen, as if just talking about those words still hurt her. Dib seen Midge vulnerable a couple times, mostly when feeling guilty. But seeing her...insecure, unsure, was a bit unsettling.

“Later on, Dek finds me curled up into a ball, crying my eyes out," she said. "He asks me what happened and, of course, I wouldn’t tell him. Then…he holds out his hand and says, 'Come with me.’” She laughed softly. “I almost said no, but considering he was the first male besides Drun to not make me feel stupid for crying, I figured it was better than feeling sorry for myself. 

“So Dek goes and grabs his fake PAK, puts it on and turns on the jet pack. He scoops me up in his arms…and he took me flying.” She looked back at Dib. “I may not understand all the technology and mechanics that can go into ships, but I can definitely appreciate flying. That was the first time I had done so, and it was possibly the most liberating experience I had ever had at the time.” 

As much as Dib was enjoying this story, he didn’t see how it was relevant to his situation. “This has a point, right?” 

“A very important point,” Midge replied before continuing her tale. “Anyway, we landed in the forest on the other side of the mountains. And we’d found ourselves in the middle of felouda mating time.” 

“Felouda?” asked Dib. 

“They’re kind of like your planet’s butterflies,” Midge explained, “except their wings are made of fur. Some of the softest fur in the universe. And they light up, like, a dozen different colors. 

“So here Dek and I are in this icy forest, surrounded by blinking felouda, stars glittering above the trees and I realize for the first time in my life that I didn’t feel like I _had_ to be anything. I didn’t have to be the Princess of Lazuroth. I didn’t have to be the key to my brothers' success with the revolution. For the first time…I could be just Midge.” 

Midge's expression became soft, and she began to toy with her Orok. “When I turned around to thank Dek, I realized he was staring at me. I asked him what he was looking at, and he slowly walked up to me, looking down at me with those big green eyes…And he said, 'You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my whole life…and I would very much like to kiss you.’” Her smile widened. “I had seen Drun kiss his mate a couple times, and that was the only way I knew what it was. But...they always looked so happy doing it, so i figured why not. So I told him, 'You'll have to show me how.’ And he said 'I can do that.'” She sighed blissfully. "That was such a good day."

Dib continued to stare as Midge turned to face him, still very confused as to what this story had to do with what he should do about Zim. However, he couldn't deny that he found they're courtship story interesting. 

“My point is, Dib,” explained Midge, hopping off the work station and stepping toward him, “ _Salvis_ , this Irken courtship ritual, all it’s been is Zim showing you that he wants you.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “All you have to do to is show him that you want him in return.” 

Dib stared, slightly shocked by Midge's words. Was it really that simple? “What about the Orok?” 

“Oh, Dek didn’t give me mine until we were together for a couple years,” replied Midge. “I guess you could say it's like you're planet's marriage proposals, except it's actually for life. Technically, nothing’s permanent until one of you is wearing one but, honestly, Dib, I can’t imagine Zim letting you go once he has you.” She gave him a inquisitive look. "Are you ready for that?" 

Dib thought about that for a moment. By the sound of it, all he had to do was make a move to show he was interested, that he wanted Zim the same way Zim want him. It...actually didn’t seem too different from human dating, but he had no experience in that department either, so it wasn't exactly comforting. And, he had to agree with Midge. Zim held on to things he considered his with a iron grip, and Dib didn't think it would be any different with him. Was he okay with that? Was he okay with taking this step that could have no chance of going back? 

He felt a sudden surge of determination in his chest the more he thought about it. Zim had always been there, one way or another. From the very beginning they had been drawn together, even as enemies. Dib couldn't help but think what the odds were of Zim finding Earth, ending up at his city, at his school. What were the odds of the animosity becoming a strange rivalry, the rivals becoming comrades by extenuating circumstances, and the comrades becoming friends simply by time spent together, getting to know each other beyond what they thought they knew?  

It was almost inevitable that it should all lead to this... 

Thoughts of the next step, of taking their relationship further, still made Dib's insides squirm nervously, but...he knew what he wanted.  

He wanted Zim. 

He found himself smiling slightly as he finally answered Midge. "Yeah. I think I can handle that." 

Midge looked surprised for a moment before she smiled brightly. "Good," she said. She then folded her arms and looked up at the ship. "Now, are you gonna show me what this baby can do or are we gonna argue some more about it looking like a dolphin?" 

“It doesn’t look like a dolphin!” Dib screeched in frustration. 

“It totally looks like a dolphin,” Midge teased. 

Dib groaned in frustration, walking away from Midge to enter the cockpit of the Astor. “You won’t be saying that once you see her fly!” 

Midge giggled softly. “We’ll see.” 

Dib rolled his eyes before beginning to concentrate on starting up the Astor. He went over his checklist, pressing the correct buttons and switches in perfect sequence. Once that was complete, he hovered over the switch that would official start the Astor up. Or it hopefully would. He was certain he had done everything to the letter. He took a breath, before finally he flipped the switch, squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation. 

With a victorious roar that echoed across the hanger, the once dead, decrepit Astor announced its return to life. 

“It started,” Dib whispered to himself. Elation seized his entire being as he jumped and yelled at Midge. “It started!” 

Midge gave a loud cheer. Dib could see E.J. running up to her side, completely in awe. “You did it!” E.J. declared. 

“I did!” Dib shouted, feeling almost delirious over his victory. 

“Come on, Dib,” Midge urged encouragingly. “Let’s see her fly!” 

Dib turned to E.J. “Can I?” 

“Hell yeah,” E.J. replied. “That was our deal wasn’t it?” 

Dib nodded enthusiastically, sitting back down and closing the hatch. He pressed a few more buttons, pulling up all the levels of the ship’s workings in the corner of the holo-screen. He watched through the windshield as E.J. began yelling at people to clear the way. Gingerly, Dib began moving the ship forward heading toward the hanger’s exit. Once out on the outdoor runway, he spurred the Astor forward, waiting until he reached the proper speed before attempting to start lifting off the ground. The ship stuttered for a moment, making Dib cringe, but at this point there was no way he was giving up. 

Then, before he knew it, he was no longer on the ground. 

His stomach flopped and his heart pounded. He felt like laughing and crying all at once. Putting his experience at piloting to good use, he rose higher and higher, beyond Polaris’ rings, making a full lap around the brightly lit space station. 

He couldn’t believed it. He’d actually done it! 

After zooming around for a bit and doing his best sit down victory dance, Dib returned back to the space station and reentered the hanger. A huge crowd gathered as he landed, E.J. and Midge standing at the front. 

“Did you see that?!” Dib shouted, jumping out of the ship and jogging toward them. 

Midge laughed. “Sure did.” 

E.J grinned proudly. “Well, congrats, kid,” he said. “The Astor’s all yours.” 

Dib nearly bounced with excitement. “It’s still gonna need some upgrades. And weapons. Oh, geez, I gotta start shopping for weapons!” 

E.J. chuckled. “I’m sure that all can wait.” 

“I think this calls for a celebration,” Midge added with a giggle. “Maybe I can talk to Dek about us all going out tonight.” 

Dib’s eyes widened at the thought of telling the others, his mind focusing on the one person he wanted to tell most of all. Like right now. “Can we actually hold off on that for now?” 

E.J. looked mildly confused. Midge, however, merely smiled. “Sure,” she replied. 

 Dib grinned broadly as he turned to E.J.  “Would it be alright if I take the Astor for another spin when I come back?” 

E.J shrugged. “Of course. The ship’s yours now, and you have the authorization to go outside Polaris.” 

Dib’s smile widened. “Thanks!” he said, taking off at a sprint. 

E.J rose a brow as he left, looking over at Midge. “What’s gotten into him?” 

Midge just smiled knowingly, twirling her Orok in her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case it confused anyone, or anyone cares, Drun's mate was male.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...things I didn't plan on doing: Having a scene between Midge and Dek. But on a whim I put it in. 
> 
> And I would stay tuned to the end of this chapter if I were you :3

* * *

There were many things Midge Cuppari got away with that other members of Team Nebula did not.

One of those things was entering Dek's office without knocking.

She made the effort to enter the room quietly, just in case Dek was on a call. She found her mate hovering over his tablet, his brow furrowed in concentration. Midge walked over with a container of food, dead set on getting her mate to eat something. Learning to cook had been just another thing she wanted to do when she joined Team Nebula, and one of the things she hadn't found too hard to pick up on. Unlike computers and mechanics. It did not matter how well it was explained to her, E.J. and Dek could never get the information to stick with her.

On Lazuroth, a female catering to a male in anyway was seen as heinous and disgusting. Midge never understood that, even as a child, especially after getting to know her brothers. She never minded doing equal work for the rebellion, or learning things her instructors in the palace wouldn't teach her because it 'wasn't proper'. And, really, she never saw it as catering. She learned that any healthy relationship was a good balance of give and take, and she felt she and Dek had that pretty down pat.

Well, most of the time...

"Why is it every time I come in here you look like you're trying to solve the meaning of life?" Midge asked, setting the container of food on a clear part of Dek's desk. Dek was always so organized. Sometimes to the point of unnecessary. It often drove Midge crazy.

Dek didn't answer her, continuing to stare at his tablet. He'd scribble along it with his stylus for a bit before violently erasing it with a low growl.

Midge frowned. She could already tell that Dek was in one of _those_ moods. "Everything okay?" She asked with concern.

Again, Dek didn't answer her, continuing to write and erase on his tablet. Midge sighed. She hated it when Dek got like this, how he could be so deep in thought that he could tune even her out. Dek had once told her that, before her, he hadn't really had anyone to confide in besides Adalet, but being his boss made that a bit difficult. However, he often couldn't bring himself out of his 'captain persona,' which tried Midge's patience frequently. And she wasn't exactly a patient person to begin with.

"Well, at least remember to eat dinner tonight, okay?" She said defeatedly, pushing the container forward a bit. She made to walk away, intent on going home to the apartment the two of them shared and getting some chores done. Midge was certain if her mother could see how domestic she had become, that the Queen of Lazuroth would probably have a complete breakdown.

However, Midge had only taken half a step before she felt her wrist caught in a strong grip. She turned find Dek holding on to her, his big, green eyes finally directed her way. Dek was always the strangest combination of gentle and firm with her. He knew exactly how much pressure to put into holding her wrist so that she couldn't simply walk away, but it was never enough to hurt her.

"Why do you always do that?" He asked her, sounding exasperated.

Midge frowned. "Do what?"

"You never try to get my attention when I'm working," Dek elaborated. "You always just walk away."

"I'd rather not bother you when you're busy," Midge told him. It came out much more bitter than she had intended.

Dek rolled his eyes before tugging Midge toward him, causing her to fall into his lap with an undignified squeak. She narrowed her eyes, but she never could stay annoyed at the hybrid. Especially when he smiled at her like he was right now. The other females back home would see her as such a disgrace.

And she couldn't care less.

"What did you make me?" Dek asked, reaching over and pulling the food toward them.

"Your favorite," Midge replied proudly. It had become one of her favorite accomplishments, learning Dek's favorite things to eat. Right under becoming Team Nebula's head doctor.

He leaned over and kissed the side of her head. Midge knew it wasn't easy to balance being mates and their Captain/First Officer relationship. It cause conflict every now and then. But whenever Dek turned off his leadership role to focus his attention on her, it made everything worth it. "What did I do to deserve you?" He asked rhetorically.

"Would you like the list chronologically or alphabetically?," Midge asked, situating herself so she was more comfortable in Dek's lap. Also, she wanted to eat, too, after all.

"Now you're just trying to butter me up," Dek chuckled.

Yes, but, it helps that it's true."

Dek rolled his eyes as they both ate in silence for a bit, a contented smile on his face. Midge snorted before sparing a glance over at Dek's tablet. There were a bunch of notes she could barely make out. Dek's handwriting was abysmal.

"So," she said, turning slightly so she could see Dek's face, "are going to tell me what's going on?"

Dek's jaw tensed, and Midge saw how his eyes focused over on the tablet once more. Midge nearly retracted the question. She didn't like Dek being upset.

"Someone sent Lard Nar information about the main weapons prison on Vort," he replied evenly.

Midge's eyes widened. "Really?"

Dek nodded. "There's a Subordinate Brain there."

Midge couldn't help the sudden anxiety they flooded her. She knew what that meant. "But, Vort is heavily guarded, Dek. They have more than half of the Empire's fire power."

"Which is why getting it out of the Empire's hands in essential," he said, meeting her gaze. She sometimes felt like he could see right through her. It was overwhelming. "This is what we've all been preparing for, Midge."

Midge bit her lip, looking back down at the desk. "I know," she said quietly. This would be Dib and Zim's first mission. She knew Zim was more than capable of any task, and Dib had faced death so many times for someone his age, but...this was dangerous, and they both meant so much to her.

Dek lifted her head so she would meet his eyes once more. His eyes always swirled with so many things at once. Right now they were filled with a mixture of worry, frustration, but also the strangest flicker of determination. "You wanted to be a part of this because you believed in them," Dek said. Midge wasn't surprised that he knew what was really bothering her. He always seemed to know things like that. "Because you believed in _Dib_." It was true that Midge simply felt closer to the human who was their original recruit. He understood things that the other people in Midge's life did not, things she had only discussed with him once or twice. No one else really knew what it was like to have such different views from a parent, and the struggles that came with it.

There was also the fact that Dib reminded her so much of Drun sometimes it was almost eerie...

"So," Dek said softly, brushing some of Midge's hair from her eyes and cupping her face in his hands, "believe in them now."

Midge gave him a soft smile, reaching up to cover his hands with hers. She gave a silent nod in reply. Dek leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers and she closed her eyes, reveling in having her mate hold her like this.

On Lazuroth, males were seen as good for only one thing. Females didn't need them for comfort or safety, seeing themselves as the superior gender. Romantic relations in general, weren't accepted. Even those between two females were heavily frowned upon. All Lazurothians cared about was productivity and prosperity, which included their isolation from the rest of the universe, and the way they handled reproduction.

But Midge had learned to see things differently, simply because she didn't like being told where to go and how to dress. Because she ran away and found herself being rescued by a group of boys. Because she wanted to get to know the brother who had saved her that day, and over the years realized that the way things were was just plain wrong.

And because of that, she met Dek. And with Dek she couldn't help but feel comforted and safe. She couldn't help but crave the feeling of being in his arms, of his intense emerald eyes on her. Midge had never seen herself as weak, but with Dek...she found herself constantly reminded that she didn't have to be strong all the time.

"You're with me, right?" Dek asked, interrupting Midge's rampant thoughts. She opened her eyes, finding herself locked in emerald green. Dek was unbelievably gorgeous, and even after all this time it still took her breath away.

"Always," Midge whispered back, not needing to think about the answer at all.

Dek leaned forward and kissed Midge's lips lightly. It still baffled her how just the barest of brushes could make her whole being light up. "Good," he replied.

They were quiet for a long while, just holding each other close. Midge figured it was probably best to break the seriousness of the moment. She could never stand things being so somber for long. "By the way, you owe me a hundred Galactic Credits," she said.

"Really?" Dek asked, squinting an eye at her. "And what do I owe you for?"

Midge smirked. "Dib's going to respond to Zim."

"Is that so?"

"Mmhmm," she said smugly. "So pay up, Captain."

"Huh. Well, I do like to keep my word," he said tapping his chin thoughtfully. Then a smirk of his own slid across his features. "However..."

And before Midge could say anything else, she found herself being lifted up and plopped onto Dek's desk. She heard things being shoved to the floor as he kissed her fiercely, his hands running all over her body. She made a soft noise into Dek's mouth, her hands wandering just eagerly.

"I'm afraid I don't have any cash on me at the moment," Dek said gruffly, his teeth grazing against her neck. Midge couldn't help but tremble in anticipation, gasping as his hand trailed up her shirt, as he pressed his body more firmly against hers. Lazurothian females were never supposed to allow a male to manipulate or dominate them in anyway. But with way Dek kissed her, the way he touched her, she always found herself loving every minute of him taking her body and making it his.

Also, most of the crew knew better than to ask about any marks they saw.

"I...supposed you could compensate me in some other way," Midge said breathlessly as she pulled Dek's shirt over his head.

Midge really was glad she was the only one that didn't have to knock on Dek's office door.

 

00000000000000000000

 

Zim stared down at the material in front of him, his face scrunching up thought. He’d been waiting for this particular item for a while. Apparently, it was hard to come by, and he’d had to nag Milgor and Dek for weeks for them to finally concede. Ugh. There was so much red tape to this place. He could only imagine what it was going to be like to get the explosives to test the durability. 

No matter. He would eventually succeed. Dek had seemed very impressed with his work on the  _Nazo_  solving their abysmal energy situation and even upgrading their warp drive. Plus, all of this was for a noble cause.  

Though Zim would admit that he was having explosion withdrawal.  

“It’s shiny!” Gir squealed, looking at the black material on awe. 

“It’s also supposed to be one hundred percent indestructible,” explained Zim. “I plan on testing that for myself, of course.” 

“Hurray! Esplosions!” Gir screeched. 

Zim offered him an endearing smile. He would never admit how much he enjoyed having the robot around. 

Just as he continued laying out the material in front of him, the loud slamming of a door gained his attention. He and the rest of the lab's occupants looked up, watching as the person responsible for all the noise burst in. 

“Zim!” Dib yelled, looking positively exuberant. Zim felt his insides flutter and flop as the human ran at him. What had the human so excited?

“Mary!” Gir cheered. 

“Why are you making such a commotion, dirt-child?” Zim demanded, noticing how some of the scientist looked less than thrilled. Before Zim could complain further the human was lifting him off the ground and spinning him around. “Gah! Unhand me this instant, Dib!” 

“It works!” Dib declared. “It actually works!” 

“Would you at least try to speak intelligently?!” Zim demanded. “And cease your spinning!” He was getting dizzy. 

Dib just laughed but he complied, continuing to hold Zim against him. “The Astor. I got it working!” 

Zim’s eyes widened before he squinted one in disbelief. “Really?” 

Dib rolled his eyes. “Always the tone of surprise," he said, not sounding all that annoyed. 

“Well, if you weren’t so stupid I wouldn’t have such low expectations,” Zim replied, his tone teasing. He realized that Dib was still holding him up off the ground, and he felt his face heat up. “Now put me down, Dib-beast.” 

Dib seemed to realize the situation as well, setting Zim gently back down on the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously. 

“Do you wanna go for a ride?” Dib asked a little to quickly. 

Zim blinked, wondering if the had heard the human correctly. “Eh?” 

“The Astor,” Dib reiterated. “I already took it on an initial test drive, so I know it won’t explode or anything.” 

Zim thought it over. The last time the two of them had been in a ship together it had been chasing down an enemy vessel, and as thrilling as that had been it had gone by so quickly. The idea of just recreationally flying around with Dib made him more excited than he cared to admit. 

“Eh, sure, why not,” Zim replied casually, waving his hand about. He looked over at his robot minion. “Gir! Clean up that mess!” 

Gir saluted, his eyes going red. “Yes, my lord!” he answered, before his eyes went back to bright cyan. The top of his head popped off and began vacuuming Zim’s work area. “WEEEEEE!” 

They made their way to the ship hanger in almost silence, mostly making light conversation about their days so far. When they approached the Astor, Zim frowned. “You couldn’t have painted it a better color?” 

“Just because you like purple and magenta doesn’t mean everyone does,” Dib pointed out. 

“Everyone should! They are far superior to any other color in existence!” 

Dib just snorted as he opened the hatch. He then held out his hand towards Zim. “What are you doing?” Zim asked suspiciously. 

“I was gonna help you up,” Dib said, a smirk slipping across his face. “It is kind of high.” 

Zim shoved him, glaring like his eyes could disintegrate the stupid human. Dib laughed, watching as Zim used his PAK legs to climb into the ship. Dib followed after, taking his place in the pilots seat. 

“The computer system still needs to be upgraded,” Dib told Zim as he began pushing the proper buttons. “So don’t judge it.” 

Zim folded his arms but he said nothing as the engine started up and Dib began easing the ship along the hanger. Once they were outside they quickly took off, flying into space. Zim was tense right until they were outside Polaris, cruising at a steady pace. He was happy to find that Dib was right and that they weren't going to blow up. 

“I’ll admit, Dib-worm,” Zim said with grin, “this is actually very well done.” 

Dib gasped mockingly. “Be still my beating heart,” he drawled. 

“Wouldn’t that, you know, kill you?” Zim asked. “Why do you humans have such stupid sayings?” 

“To be honest, Zim, I couldn’t tell you,” Dib replied with a chuckle. 

Zim hummed in acknowledgement, looking back out the windshield at the vast field of stars. This part of space was so isolated, with the nearest system being several light years beyond the nearby asteroid belt. Their were no large celestial bodies nearby. Zim figured that probably made it the optimal location for Team Nebula’s headquarters. 

Once they were a good enough distance, Zim looked back at Dib. “So how fast can this vessel go?” He asked. 

Dib smirked devilishly. Zim felt his squeedlyspooch jump. “Wanna see?” 

Zim returned the expression and nodded. Dib flipped a couple switches before grabbing the throttle.

“You might wanna hold on.” 

Zim scoffed. He was a mighty Irken warrior! He could handle the menial speed of some ancient spacecraft! 

He reconsider this thought as they blasted forward, the force pushing Zim flush with his seat.  

They flew around for a while, speeding around Polaris and even weaving in and out of the asteroid belt. Zim was quite glad he came. The ship they had stolen to catch that Irken scout had nothing on the Astor. 

“Your ship needs a name,” Zim suggested as they took a break from zooming around. All great ships had names. Not that he would admit that he thought the Astor was great. 

Dib thought about this as he set the autopilot. As annoyed as he had been with her comment before, he could kind of see where Midge was coming from about the ship looking like a dolphin. And, really, that wasn’t so bad. Dolphins were known for being fast, intelligent and surprisingly vicious. “ _Delphina_ ,” Dib said with a nod. 

Zim squinted an eye at him. “Eh?” 

“It’s after an Earth constellation,” Dib explained. “It’s a dolphin.” 

Zim thought about that for a moment, trying to remember which Earth creature Dib was talking about. He could vaguely remember seeing dolphins on a school field trip. “Why those things? The look like weak, over-sized fish.” 

Dib shrugged. “They look that way,” explained Dib, deciding not to mention Midge’s comments, “but dolphins are some pretty nasty creatures. They’re kind of like you. Cute but dangerous.” His face flared as soon as the words left his mouth. 

Zim, however, ignored the compliment in favor of being compared to a dolphin. “I will cute your face!” 

 Dib just chuckled. “I’m so scared,” he replied teasingly. He looked back out the window, ignoring the glare Zim gave him. “Man, I can’t wait to get this baby back to Earth,” he mentioned. “I could just cruise around the Solar System anytime I wanted. Maybe even beyond!” 

Zim turned away, feeling a smile creep on his face. He most definitely did not want Dib to know that he felt happy, simply because the human was so. 

“If you want,” Dib said nervously. “When this is all over, and it’s been made a better place…we could use this thing to go to Irk sometime.” 

Zim froze, turning to look at Dib. The human was just staring out the windshield, his cheeks a dusty red.

“I mean, she still needs warp drive installed," Dib continued, "since I’m pretty sure we would actually kill each other if we take the trip without it but…I figured that you’d like to go back home someday. You know, when it’s not at war. Plus I’d like to see it.” 

A warm feeling spread through Zim's insides. He couldn’t believe that Dib was offering this. His Voot took six months to make the journey, and if both of them went it would cramped. The Voot barely fit himself since he’d started growing. 

“Thank you, Dib,” Zim said quietly, not looking at him. Something stirred in his gut and he added, “I would like to see Irk again but…it has not been my ‘home’ for a long time.” 

Dib rose a brow. “What do you mean?” 

Zim did his best to put his feelings into words. “Just…I have not been there for so long, and…most of my people were never very happy to see me. I don’t find myself missing it as much these days. I…I’m not really sure where home is anymore.” He wasn’t even sure what a ‘home’ felt like. He had learned that for most people it was more than a place where you were born, or a place to reside. He just…hadn’t really thought about it. 

Dib gave him a soft smile. “I get it,” he said. “I’ve…felt that way about Earth for a while.” 

Zim looked back at him with confusion. “But you’ve always tried so hard to protect it.” 

“Well, duh. It may not feel like home, but it’s the only place I have.” 

Zim said nothing. He always got a strange thrill when he found something new he and Dib had in common. They were so alike that it was almost eerie that they had come to find each other. Zim couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had known he was exiled from the beginning, or even just earlier.  

Then again, the fact that Dib had opted for capture-now-ask-questions-later at the time, told Zim they probably still wouldn’t have gotten along… 

“You know,” Dib said after another long pause, “I never thanked you for these goggles.” 

Zim shrugged. “They were not hard to make. And you are no good to anyone blind.” Not to mention that Zim had noticed how conflicted Dib had looked at the idea of eye surgery, but he didn’t need to tell him that. 

Dib shifted in his seat. “I, uh, also never thanked you for that telescope.” 

Zim froze. He had always figured that this wouldn’t come up for one reason or another. He thought about refuting it dramatically, but decided against it. He was curious as to what brought this on. “How did you find out?” 

“Oh, uh, Midge told me,” Dib admitted. 

Zim rolled his eyes. “That blue blooded weasel has a big mouth.” 

Dib laughed. “Yeah.” There was a small beat of silence. Dib's brow furrowed, trying to figure out how to progress things further. He could hear Midge's words in his head. _“All you have to do is show him you want him in return.”_  He looked over at Zim, noticing how the Irken had his hand sitting at his side, his ruby eyes silently observing. Dib felt his heart racing, gathering every bit of his courage as he scooted across the seat to get closer to Zim.  

Zim all at once felt like he was on fire, feeling Dib get so close to him. He nearly snapped at the human to back off, but then Dib’s hand was on top of his, and any and all protests disintegrated. 

“Do tell me,” Dib asked, his voice soft, “why would you make such a nice gift for someone who was supposed to be your enemy?” 

Zim forced himself not to tremble. Irkens did not tremble. He thought about throwing an outlandish fit, maybe even making fun of Dib’s big head. But…no. Zim had had enough games. He would put all his cards on the table now, and if it ended badly, well, it wouldn’t be much different than almost everything else in his life. 

“The same reason I grabbed your hand the night we met Dek.” 

The silence that followed hung in the air like smoke, floating and suffocating. There, he had admitted it. And if Dib still didn’t get it, Zim was going to kill him in his own ship. 

Dib’s face scrunched in thought. “So wait…” He went over everything that had happened that night, putting pieces together. “Did you mean for those zombies to be holograms?” 

Zim frowned. “Those weren’t JUST holograms. They were fully tangible images. I got the idea from some human who uses the technology to play some children’s card game. Only I made them better." 

Dib blinked. “Why would you lure me out just for holograms?” 

Zim glared up at him. “Because I was not about to put myself in danger in an attempt to court you!” 

It was like the words echoed on the walls of the ship and all through space. Their gazes met, Zim’s furious, Dib’s still baffled. 

“Why holographic zombies, though?” asked Dib. 

Zim allowed himself to calm down. Dib wasn’t freaking out, and the universe hadn’t imploded at his confession. Dib’s hand was still on top of his own, even maneuvering to properly hold it. Stupid human. He was making it hard for Zim to think. 

“Do you remember that time, almost three years ago, when I didn’t show up for school for several days?” Zim asked. 

Dib nodded. “Wasn’t that…after you found out about your banishment?” They’d talked about it a couple times since the initial discussion, mostly just in passing. 

“Yes,” Zim explained. “Well…during my ‘hiatus’ Gir and I started watching Earth movies. So. Many. Earth movies. However, even after you and I picked our battles back up, it became a sort of tradition.” He averted his gaze, becoming nervous. “There was one with those ‘zombies’, and these two stupid humans were surrounded and about to die when…” His face suddenly felt too hot. “When they started kissing.” 

Another horrible pause. Zim felt Dib’s eyes on him and he hated it. He wondered why he even bothered. He probably should have just kept his mouth shut. 

It only got worse when Dib began laughing softly. Zim attempted to pull his hand free of the human’s. “If you’re just going to laugh at me you can take me back to the space station!” 

Dib held firm, sobering quickly. “Sorry, sorry. I’m not laughing at you,” Dib explained. “I’m laughing because…I really am an idiot.” Maybe if he hadn’t been so scared, so drowning in denial at the time, he could have figured it out for himself. 

“Yes, you are,” Zim told him grumpily. 

“I said I was sorry,” Dib reiterated, rolling his eyes. Then, something Zim said finally hit him. “Wait...were you _actually_ planning on kissing me?” 

Zim felt his embarrassment return ten fold. “I most certainly was not!” he shrieked. 

Dib didn’t believe him for a second. “But you said those people in the movie kissed.” 

“That doesn’t mean I was going to kiss your stupid face!” shouted Zim. 

Dib rose a brow for a moment before a very evil smirk slipped across his face. Zim shuddered. He hadn’t known Dib to be capable of such an expression and it made him want to do so many  _horrible things_. 

“So...” Dib began, leaning in, “You’re saying that you wouldn’t want me to kiss you?” 

Zim stiffened, watching Dib get closer. His squeedlyspooch was pounding a mile a minute. “I…no! Of course not!”  

Once again, Dib saw through the lie, moving even closer. “What if I kissed you anyway?” His voice was almost a whisper. 

Zim couldn’t take his eyes off those pale lips that were steadily coming closer and closer to his own. “I…would be furious,” he murmured, even as he tilted his head up, even as his eyelids drooped to half mast. “I...I would probably kill you.”  _But I’ll definitely kill you if you don’t._

Dib’s smirk morphed into a beautiful, confident smile. “I’ll risk it,” he whispered, as finally,  _finally_ , their lips met between them. 

It was small, the spark that was produced, like flint and steel struggling to start a flame. Their lips moved against each other slowly and gently, barely brushing. Zim’s insides felt like they were simmering. Dib could hear his heartbeat in his ears. 

Then six claws wove their way into ebony hair. Strong arms wrapped around a small frame. The spark caught; a candle in the dark. Glowing. Burning. Slowly melting the walls between them. 

The fire shot to new heights as Dib brushed his tongue against Zim’s lips, as Zim opened his mouth eagerly. Their mouths moved with an almost desperation, their tongues sliding against each other passionately. The ship no longer existed. The universe no longer mattered. It was just the two of them, holding each other, breathing each other in.  

Zim crawled into Dib’s lap, straddling him, his arms clinging around the human’s neck. Dib’s hands found purchase on Zim’s hips. The fire was now an inferno, burning every last shred of doubt and fear that was left. So much time wasted. So much denial and loneliness. It burned down to ashes, ending one thing and beginning another. Something new and thrilling. Something beautiful and powerful. 

After what seemed like eons, they broke away, panting. Their gazes met, ruby and gold. A lingering flame. 

“Wow,” Dib said breathlessly as their foreheads touched. It was all he could bring himself to say at the moment. 

Zim found that he agreed with the sentiment. “That was…far better than anticipated.” 

Dib rose a brow. “What, did you think I’d be bad at it?” 

“No, you idiot,” Zim replied, annoyed by the assumption. “It’s just…what I have seen of kisses always looked so…weird. We don’t exactly have that sort of thing on Irk.” 

“Oh,” Dib stated, considering this information. His smirk returned full force. “What, you only ever wanted to kiss me?” 

Zim's face flushed, his eyes narrowing lethally. “I will not hesitate to destroy you, you know,” he growled. 

“Oh, I know,” Dib assured. “I have a better idea, though.” 

“What could possibly be better than beating you with your own severed arms?” Zim asked grumpily. 

Dib leaned up, his nose brushing the part of Zim's face where he had none. “You could always kiss me again.” 

Zim continued to give Dib an annoyed look for a moment before smirking victoriously. “I guess I could,” he murmured, placing his lips on Dib’s once more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sets of fireworks and blows a noise maker*
> 
> Why is there so much romance in this chapter geez what have I become?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how the dad in the movie Chicken Little was all "I'm so supportive of my son" as soon as he found out that yes there are aliens and they are invading? That's my head canon for Professor Membrane. Sort of. (Btw, you know the writer of that movie totally watched Invader Zim don't even play.) 
> 
> There are so many feels in this chapter. What is my life?

"So," Gaz said, looking far too smug for her own good, "you've finally succumbed to your gay xenophelia?" 

Dib rolled his eyes. "Do you have to put it that way?" 

"What? You're now officially dating a male alien," she said with a shrug. "What else would that make you? Besides, it's not like it's a bad thing. Everyone has a type. Yours just happens to be not human." 

Dib just shook his head. He felt some part of him should have expected this from his sister, but he still couldn't help but regret deciding to tell her what had happened. On the other hand, he knew if he hadn't told her, and she had found out by some other means (and it wouldn't surprise him if she did), he would most likely find himself drowning in his own bodily fluids. 

"Are you gonna tell Dad?" Gaz asked casually, looking particularly interested. 

Dib felt the tiniest twinge of guilt. He hadn't spoken to his father in over two months now, not since that stunt Dek had pulled. He just couldn't stand the idea of him turning a blind eye once again to what was so plainly in front of him. Just the idea made Dib furious. 

Gaz sighed. "You should talk to him," she said seriously. "He's been weird since you last spoke. When he's not trying to over-compensate with his 'fatherly duties', he spends literal hours in your room." 

Dib froze. He had always been very careful about keeping his father out of his room. If he saw half the stuff Dib had in his closet... "Please tell me he hasn't thrown anything away." He, of course, had no intention of exposing Zim anymore, but anything in there could be useful against the Irken Empire. 

Gaz rolled her eyes. "No. He hasn't." 

Dib allowed himself the sigh in relief. "Good." 

"Look, would you just talk to him?" Gaz said grumpily. "He's home right now." 

"Why is it since I've been gone he's been home more often?" 

"I told you," Gaz replied, "he's overcompensating." She then tilted her head back and yelled. "Dad!" 

Dib nearly squeaked in horror. "Gaz! What are you doing?!" 

"Look, you're both being stupid and the two of you need to talk," she told Dib firmly. "DAD!" She yelled more insistently. 

"No need to shout, Gaz," Professor Membrane said neutrally as he entered Gaz's room. "Now, what is it?" His eyes widened upon seeing the screen. Dib considered cutting the communication and finding a place to hide for the rest of eternity. 

"You two. Talk. Now," Gaz ordered, rising from her seat and stomping out of her room. "If I come back and I find out you two haven't worked this out, I will find a way to make both your lives hell." She stalked out of the room, leaving Professor Membrane to shift nervously. Dib swallowed. If he hung up and Gaz found out he would be so dead.  

Ugh. This was going to be awkward... 

"Has...has Gaz always been so terrifying?" The professor asked as he sat down in Gaz's previous seat. 

Dib shuffled in his chair. "Uh...well, yeah." 

"Hmm. I'll have to look into that. I don't recall anything out of the ordinary happening during her...er...engineering." 

Dib wasn't surprised to hear this. He learned sometime before high school that he was actually a clone of his father. He sort of thought that might of motivated the family trip up north. He hadn't exactly got over it, but he didn't find himself having the existential crisis he'd had at the time. 

However, he still wasn't quite sure what Gaz was supposed to be... 

"So...er," Professor Membrane began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "How are you, son?" 

Dib worried his lip. "Uh...I'm fine." 

"Good, good. That's good." 

There was a ridiculously awkward silence that seemed to drag on for eons. Dib almost decided to just ask why his father had been hanging around in his room, but the professor beat him to it. 

"Dib," he said. He seemed unable to find his words. It was strange, since Dib was so used to seeing his father being the picture of confidence. "That...friend of yours....Dek, was it?" 

Dib felt his stomach twist into a tight knot. "What about him?" 

Professor Membrane cleared his throat a few times. "He...well..." He fidgeted a bit and ruffled his hair. "He's....not human is he?" 

Dib had to harness every bit of his self-control to for him to not jump up and yell, 'OF COURSE HE'S NOT HUMAN HE'S GREEN AND HAS PURPLE BLOOD!' Oh, he wanted to. It was so, very tempting. But...his father's current attitude gave him pause. He was acting so...sheepish and...guilty maybe? 

"No, Dad," Dib said, unable to help the edge in his tone. "He's not." 

"Oh," said Professor Membrane, nodding slightly. "And you're...little foreign friend? Zim?" 

"Also an alien," Dib told him. "Just like I've been telling you for years." 

Professor Membrane nodded again, still looking like a giant, awkward bag of nerves. He pulled his goggles up and rubbed his face. Even knowing he was an exact genetic copy of the man, Dib was always startled to find that he and his father shared the same shade of golden eyes. 

Finally, after another way too long silence, Professor Membrane spoke again. He had an almost desperate expression on his face. "Dib...I-," 

Dib cut him off, seeing the apology coming a mile a way. "Don't," he said, shaking his head. He didn't want an apology. He didn't want his father proclaiming he had been wrong all along. It wasn't like it would change anything. "Just...don't, Dad." 

Professor Membrane closed his mouth, appearing slightly disheartened. Dib sighed hard, trying to figure out what else he could say. "Midge is an alien, too, by the way.” 

Professor Membrane appeared very interested in this. "Really?" 

"Really," Dib replied. 

"Huh. She seemed so well adapted. I never would have guessed." 

Dib resisted the urge to say that his father never guessed that the green kid that always hung around was an alien. He had to admit, this was a huge break through, and if he started yelling at his dad for his past mistakes he could miss this opportunity. "Apparently she researched for years," Dib explained. "It was all part of recruiting me for Team Nebula. I mean, we're friends now, but that was her original reason for hanging out with me." 

Dib's father rose a brow. "Team Nebula?" 

From there, it became easier, natural even. Dib went into detail about Team Nebula and what they were about. He explain about the conflict with between the Irken Empire and the Galactic Alliance. He talked about Polaris, the different alien species that he had met, and everything that had happened while there. Well, almost everything. He figured he'd save the biggest bombshell for last.

"This...this is some serious stuff, Dib," Professor Membrane said once Dib had finished. "This...this a _war_." 

Dib frowned. "I know what I signed up for, Dad," he told his father firmly. "I know this is dangerous. But they've been training me non-stop and, honestly, this isn't the first time I've risked my life and it probably won't be the last." He held his father's gaze. "I won't turn my back on this, Dad. I made a commitment. Nothing you say will change my mind." 

Professor Membrane sighed loudly, staring at his son for a long time. Then, slowly, a strange smile crept across his face. "All those times you were out playing hero...you were actually trying to protect the planet. And here, after all these years...I finally see it." He shook his head. "I've been such a fool." 

"Dad, stop," Dib said sincerely. "I don't want your apologies. I just..." He just wanted his father to acknowledge him, to understand him, to see things from his perspective. And...wasn't he finally getting that? 

"Okay," Professor Membrane said, seeming to catch Dib's meaning. He continued to smile as he said. "It...sounds like you've done very well with Team Nebula." There was pride in his tone. Dib didn't find himself needing his father's approval as much as he used to, but, damn it, if eleven year old Dib wasn't crying tears of joy.

"Thanks, Dad," he said quietly. 

Professor Membrane nodded once again. "So, anything else I need to know about?" 

Dib's insides froze at the question. He debated on multiple ways to handle this situation, including keeping his father in the dark. But he figured he'd gotten this far, so maybe there was a tiny bit of hope. "Um...well, it's about Zim..." 

"Oh, yes," Professor Membrane said. "You said he's full-blooded Irken, correct?" 

"Um...yeah." Dib replied, shifting anxiously. 

"Well, what about him?" 

Dib took a breath. Might as well come out and say it. "He and I are together." 

Professor Membrane rose a brow. "...Together?" 

"...As in a couple." 

Professor Membrane's eyes became the size of dinner plates. "Oh. _Oh_." He began tapping his fingers on top of the desk in a rhythmic fashion. He cleared his throat several times before looking up at his son. "Are...are you happy?" 

Dib's mouth fell open slightly. He had not expected that reaction at all. He studied his father's features, making sure he was sincere, before he smiled. "Yeah. I am." 

That seemed to make Professor Membrane smile as well. "Good." 

 

0000000000000 

 

Unbeknownst to either one of them, Gaz was standing just outside her bedroom door, unable to help the grin on her face as she heard her father and brother really talk for the first time in forever. 

"Idiots," she said under her breath, before making her way to find her Game Slave 9000. She figured she could live without her computer just for a bit longer. 

 

000000000000000000 

 

Dating Zim wasn't much different from being friends with Zim. Which, really, if Dib thought about it, wasn't too different from being enemies with Zim. 

They still argued frequently over really stupid things, things that half the time Dib didn't remember. There was still the occasional flick of the nose, poke to the rib, physical fight. They maintained their usual 'nicknames', which both Dib and Zim were very glad for. Zim especially. If Dib started calling him 'honey' or 'babe' he was going rip his eyes out. 

The main differences were that sometimes the stupid arguments were just to rile the other up. Which lead to mild scuffles. Which lead to hot make out sessions. Neither of them had known what they were doing the first time, but it had turned out fine. And now, every time they kissed it seemed to only get better. Dib honestly never thought he would adore Zim's long, flexible tongue so much. 

However, they were always pretty good about stopping it before things went too far. To Dib's surprise, they both took turns reigning themselves in. Dib knew he did it mostly because of nerves, not wanting to push things too far too fast. He wasn't sure why Zim would stop them when he did, especially when he usually looked so much like stopping was the last thing he wanted to do. 

They even started going on actual dates on their off days. Most of the time it would just be dinner and them hanging out (and making out) on the dorm room couch. Sometimes they would take Dib's ship outside Polaris, just flying around and talking. Dib couldn't wait until he got the warp drive installed. They could explore so much further than before. Zim had even offered his help. Dib knew this could probably be a bad idea but...it also sounded like fun. 

But even with their newly established relationship, they still had other responsibilities. Their training schedules continued, becoming more vigorous and difficult. Midge and Dek seemed pretty distracted by something, but they both insisted that they would talk about it at the next team meeting. Dib couldn't help but feel a jitter of nerves. This would be his and Zim's first team meeting, and by the way Midge and Dek were acting, something serious was definitely going on. 

However, it apparently wasn't serious enough to keep Zim from mauling him. 

"You’re such a jerk!" Dib complained, pulling his turtleneck over the incriminating reddish-brown mark on his neck. It still peaked out pass the collar. "I can't even give you one because of your stupid regeneration factor!" 

"Stop whining!" Zim ordered. "You should be honored to be marked by Zim!" 

Dib sighed loudly. "Midge is never going to shut up about this," he said, trying the pull the collar up to no avail. 

“Tch. Like she has any room to talk,” Zim mentioned. “Did you not notice the bite mark on her neck yesterday?” 

Dib rose a brow. “Uh…no?” He didn’t really take the time to observe when something was different about Midge.  

Zim rolled his eyes. Well, at least he didn’t have to worry about Dib staring at anyone that wasn’t him. “She only teases you because she knows you’ll get flustered,” Zim told him, smirking as he walked forward, leaving only the tiniest bit of space between them. Then, he leaned up, having to stand on his toes so he could whisper in Dib’s ear. “And you are _so much fun_ to fluster.” 

Dib tried to stay annoyed, but it was hard when he felt Zim’s breath along his neck and those tantalizing lips brushing his earlobe just the tiniest bit. He closed his eyes, trying to keep his head. “If you keep that up, we’re going to be late.” 

“Oh, that would be _terrible_ , wouldn’t it?” Zim purred. His lips trailed down along the skin underneath Dib’s ear, not really kissing so much as just brushing. The rest of the human’s neck was blocked by the turtleneck. Zim made a mental note to burn the stupid thing when Dib wasn’t around. 

All thoughts of destroying the turtleneck disappeared as Dib pulled Zim forward and kissed his mouth fiercely. Oh, how Zim relished in kissing his human. When ever their lips met, whenever their tongues touched, it was like for the first time in his life he finally came alive. He especially liked it when they kissed like this, almost competing for dominance. Zim enjoyed gentle kisses , too, but this...he craved it more than he had ever craved anything else. 

He made a surprised noise into Dib’s mouth as he was lifted against the wall, Dib’s mouth parting from the kiss to attack his exposed neck. Even if the hickey wouldn’t stay, Dib was determined to try. Either way, it was always nice whenever he could turn the tables on Zim. Especially when he started making little whimpering noises as Dib nibbled along his jaw. He shuddered when he felt Zim's claws trail up under his shirt, his legs wrapping around him tightly. Dib leaned up to attack his mouth once more. 

Just when things were starting to get extremely heated, a high pitched metallic voice shrieked, "Helloooooo!" 

Dib was so surprised that he nearly lost his grip on Zim and dropped him on the floor. They broke away from their kiss to stare at Gir, who was just standing there wide-eyed and oblivious. 

Zim snarled, "What do you want, Gir?!" 

"Greenie wanted mees and tell yous that if you're not on time for the meeting he was gonna melt your brains!" Gir replied cheerfully. 

Zim growled again, very annoyed about his and Dib's make out being interrupted. Dib noticed, and leaned over pecked the side of his head. It hadn't taken long for Dib to figure out the best way to calm Zim down. Zim squinted an eye at him in irritation, but the blush on his face gave him away. 

"Come on, Space Boy," Dib said, sitting Zim back on the ground. "I don't want Dek to melt my brain." 

They finally made their way out of the dormitories, crossing the courtyard to the main building. Dib glanced over at Zim out of the corner of his eye, slowly reaching over and taking the Irken's hand in his own. Zim gave him a lackluster glare, but made no move to pull his hand away. His face even became a darker pink than before.

They released each other’s hands once they entered the conference room, finding their seats and sitting down. A couple of the other crew members found their way in after them. Immediately Dib could feel the tension in the air. It was in the stiff way Dek was standing at the front of the room, in the way Midge was curled up in her chair, worrying her lip. Something big was definitely going on. 

Once everyone was seated, looking expectant, Dek squared his shoulders and folded his arms. "Good evening," he said evenly. "Usually, I would go into a whole long speech about budgets and information, but I'm going to cut right to that chase tonight." His gaze glided along the others sitting at the table. "This has been a long time coming, but we are ready to make our first real move against the Irken Empire." 

The rest of the crew exchanged glances, all looking different versions of worried and shocked. Dek waiting for that information to sink in before he continued. "Recently, Lard Nar was sent an encrypted message from inside the main weapons development prison on Vort." He pressed some buttons, bringing up a holographic blue print. "The informant sent a map, including the location of a Subordinate Control Brain." 

Dib had heard this term before during training. The Sub-Brains were placed on most of the planets in the Irken Empire, while Irk, Judgementia and the Massive all held Main Brains. If an attack on a planet with a Sub-Brain was serious enough, a signal would be sent to the Main Brains, and often the Armada wasn't far behind. The only way to prevent that, however, was to have someone sneak in and deactivate the Sub-Brain before it got the chance. 

“Have you lost your half-breed mind?!" Zim asked in disbelief. "Vort has the highest amount of the Empire's weaponry! We will be horrendously outgunned!" 

"That is precisely why we _have_ to take it," replied Dek angrily. "We need to get it out of the Empire's hands. It'll be enough of a blow to handicap them significantly, and we will also have more weapons for us and for the Resisty." His eyes scanned the room once more. "Lard Nar and I have a plan to attack Vort from both angles. The Resisty will attack the surrounding ships on guard, creating an opening for us and some of their own ships. The majority of us will be inciting a jail break, causing a distraction for most of the guards." His gaze fell right on Dib. "Meanwhile, Dib will be ensuring that that Sub-Brain gets shut down." 

Dib felt his stomach squirm. He gave a nervous nod, unable to help the anxiety that washed over him. He'd been training for this since the day he landed on Polaris, but it still sounded intimidating. 

"Are you sure Dib is ready for this?" Matsuri asked in a worried tone. "I mean, this will be his first real mission." 

Dib wasn't sure how to feel about that. He appreciated that Matsuri was concerned for his well-being, but he didn't like her lack of confidence. 

"The Dib is quite capable of this pathetic mission," Zim told Matsuri firmly. "Do not doubt him because of his inexperience." 

Dib smiled softly, reaching under the table to grab Zim's hand. Zim looked up at him and smiled in return, giving the human's hand a firm squeeze. 

"I believe Dib is ready for this," Dek said. "If I didn't he wouldn't be here. Now," he leaned forward and placed his hands on top of the table, "I need someone to volunteer to escort Dib to the Brain and to have his back while-," He hadn't even finished before Zim had his hand up insistently. "Why am I not surprised?" 

"Because you're stupid if you think I'm going to leave my human unattended," Zim replied plainly. Dib rolled his eyes. 

Dek sighed. "Can the two of you do this without actually killing each other?" he asked, squinting an eye in suspicion. "Or getting distracted?” 

Dib felt his cheeks heat up at the insinuation. "I'm sure we'll manage," he said, grinning at Zim. 

Zim smirked in return. "Just do your job, Dib-stink, and I'll do mine." 

Dib chuckled lightly as he turned back to Dek. "See?" 

Dek just shook his head before looking back at the rest of the crew. "We head out in a week's time," he told them. "I'll be sending out to every one what time they need be on the _Nazo_." He tapped one of his fingers on the table. "This is it, people. This is what we've been training for." 

After a while, there was a shuffling of chairs as most of the crew began to file out, not saying much of anything. Dek called for Zim and Dib to hang back for a moment just as the two of them began to vacate their seats. 

"I apologize for the surprise," he said. "You're first team meeting wasn't supposed to be a bombshell." 

Dib shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I mean, that is what we're here for, right?" 

Dek nodded. "Right." He still looked unsure, but Dib was grateful that he said nothing else. He looked over at Zim. "Well, since you two insist on sticking together I have a present for you." 

Zim's eyes widened in delight. "A present?! Gimme!" 

Dek rolled his eyes, before looking over his shoulder at Midge. He held his hand out to her, and she reached out and took hold of it for a moment before they both let go. He then turned back to Zim. "Come on, then," he said as he lead the way out. Zim nearly skipped after him.  

Dib snorted at Zim's demeanor before he looked over at Midge. His amused state dissipated. She was still curled up in her seat, her gaze directed at nothing in particular. Dib's brows furrowed in concern. "You okay?" 

"Hm?" Midge nearly squeaked, her head jerking up. "Oh, yeah. Dek's just worried about the two of you, is all." She shifted slightly. "We...we both are." 

Dib once again felt torn, feeling happy for the concern of others and annoyed at their lack of faith. "I got this, you know." 

Midge nodded. "I...I know." She directed her gaze elsewhere, staring at the door. She bit her lip and held herself tighter. “Do you remember me talking about my brother Drun?” Midge suddenly asked. 

Dib nodded. He, of course, remembered Midge's favorite sibling who had, unfortunately, lost his life in their failed attempt to overthrow Lazuroth's current government. 

Midge had a strange smile on her face. “You remind me a lot of him,” she said quietly. “There were times where he could be so focused and calculating, and the next he and I were laughing and joking about something stupid.” Her gaze became distant. “He…he was impulsive, too.” 

Dib frowned, not liking being called impulsive, or being compared to someone who had died because of it. But, he knew Midge was just worried, and decided to just let her continue talking. 

“I…I get along with the rest of the crew just fine,” she said. “And…Dek has always been there for me since I joined Team Nebula, but you and Zim…” she paused for moment, biting her lip, “there’s just things the two of you understand that the others don’t.” 

Dib didn't have to guess what those things were. In the rare moments when he and Midge had serious conversations, they had discussed a lot of things. And if there were two people who understood what it was to be different, to feel misunderstood by your own people, it was him and Zim. 

“What are the odds of all us misfits finding each other, huh?” Dib snorted. 

Midge laughed a little. “What are the odds, indeed.” She looked up at him with a sincere look. “What would you say if I told you that you’re my best friend?” 

Dib scoffed. “I would say you’re insane.” 

Midge giggled. “Eh, maybe. But…both you and Zim get what it’s like to be different, but Zim's impossible at his best.” 

“Trust me, I know,” Dib said with a grin. 

“But…even if it was under false pretenses, you and me just…kind of clicked, you know? It was why I started feeling guilty about the whole thing and wanted to tell you early. But…Dek is all business when it comes to assignments.” 

Dib couldn’t help but grin. “Not to mention you were all obsessed with me.” 

Midge narrowed her eyes, but her mouth was quirked into a half smile and her cheeks were tinted blue. “Shut up,” she grumbled. 

“I just think it’s nice that you think I’m so cool,” Dib teased. 

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Midge squealed, shoving Dib slightly. Dib had to plant his feet on the floor to keep from falling out of his chair. He often forgot how strong Midge was with her being so small. 

“Hey watch it, you midget,” Dib said, chuckling slightly. 

Midge's expression changed dramatically, her eyes widening and looking all at once like she was going to cry. Or like she had seen a ghost. Or both. Dib felt a twinge of guilt in his gut. “I…I’m sorry did I-,” 

“No, no, it’s…” Midge replied, shaking her head. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Drun used to call me Midget.” 

Dib opened his mouth to speak but merely nodded in understanding. He couldn’t say he knew how Midge felt, but he could only imagine how he would feel if he lost his sister or…anyone else close to him. The very thought made his chest feel like it was being crushed. 

Suddenly, Dib reached over and grabbed Midge's shoulder, giving it a reassuring shake. “We’re gonna be okay, Midge.” 

Midge looked up at him, her big, blue eyes watery. She reached up and put her hand on top of Dib's, smiling slightly. “Yeah,” she said with a nod. She sniffled before reaching up and wiping away any escaped tears. “Come on. Let’s go make sure our significant others haven’t killed each other.” 

Dib grinned as they rose from their seats. “Please, Zim could totally kick Dek's ass.” 

Midge gaped. “Are you kidding? Dek’s like double his height!” 

“He’s not _that_ tall,” said Dib. “And in case you haven’t noticed, Zim can easily over-power those taller than him.” 

Midge frowned up at him before smirking mischievously. “Oh, yeah, I can totally see that,” she said, reaching up and tugging his turtleneck down to expose the hickey underneath. 

Dib flushed and swatted Midge's hand away. He opened his mouth to retort but then he noticed something interesting peaking past the collar of her shirt. A jagged, dark blue mark could be seen at the curve where her neck met her shoulder, following down beneath her shirt. He remembered Zim saying something about a bite mark. “Oh yeah, what’s that?” he asked, pointing at the mark. 

Midge slapped a hand over her shoulder, her face going a bold cerulean. “That is none of your business,” she said primly. 

“So it’s only funny when you do it?” Dib asked pointedly. 

Midge pouted as she grumbled, “Touché.” 

Dib snickered at his victory, causing Midge to swat him on the arm. That only made him laugh harder, and Midge even joined in. They continued to joke and banter as they made their way down the hall, leaving behind the ominous feelings of the upcoming mission for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting Fo Real, yo.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've read a lot of ZADR fanfiction and seen like fifteen different head canons for Zim's anatomy. I feel like my head canon is kind of main stream? Idk. 
> 
> By the way, when I said there would be smut, I never said it was good smut *insert at least you tried meme here*

"The way you humans portray beings outside your planet is horrible and offensive," Zim complained as he and Dib sat on the couch in their dorm room. After the bombshell of their first mission approaching, the two them figured a movie night was in order. They both picked several from their downloaded collection and were taking turns back and forth choosing what to watch. They had just finished watching _Alien Vs Predator_ , complete with Zim commentating on all the inaccuracies and how stupid the humans were. 

In hindsight, Dib probably should have expected that... 

"Well, sorry," Dib drawled half-heartedly, "it's not like we've had an alien on our planet to help us write our movies better." He gave him a pointed look. 

Zim responded by throwing a piece of popcorn in his face. “No need to be RUDE, Dib!” 

Dib threw the popcorn right back. “That was your choice, by the way. I don’t know what you expected.” 

Zim gave a thoughtful look. “Eh. I was curious.” 

Dib just snorted, scrolling around the other choices on the screen. He smirked a little as he came across a horror movie. He clicked on it and watched Zim as the opening credits started. The Irken's antennae perked up. “What is this, Dib-stink?” 

“It's called _The_ _Ring_ ,” Dib replied, still smirking. “Midge and I watched this a while back.”  

Zim frowned. He knew that Midge was bonded to Dek and had no romantic interest in Dib, but, even after all this time, he still couldn’t help but feel jealous of her being near his human. He turned his attention back to the screen, watching as the scenery became dark and eerie. “Is this one of those horror movies?” 

“Oh, it’s not that scary,” Dib said, not trying very hard to sound convincing. “Midge wasn’t scared at all.” Which was a huge lie. Midge had jumped and screamed at every single "frightening" moment and had even demanded that they watch something light-hearted afterward. 

However, it had the desired affect. Zim’s eyes narrowed challengingly, and he adjusted his posture to look more confident. Dib was certain for a moment that maybe the Irken wouldn’t break, but then the main character started watching the tape. 

“What…what is happening?” Zim asked. He looked horrified and disgusted at the tape's imagery. 

“She’s watching the tape,” Dib replied casually. 

“Why? She knows that tape killed those other humans.” 

“But she doesn’t,” said Dib. “She’s trying to figure out how they died.” 

Zim's eyes narrowed. “I feel like this is something stupid you would do.” 

“I wouldn’t watch a tape that kills people!” Dib argued defensively. 

“Tch! You would to solve some silly, parachuty mystery! And then you'd end up dead!” 

“It’s ‘paranormal.’” 

“You’re face is para – whatever!” 

Dib rolled his eyes, continuing to watch the movie. Horror movies, even creepy ones like this, never really bothered him. After dealing with real angry spirits, it took quite a bit for him to actually get scared. Zim continued to commentate through, saying that human was stupid and that scene was awful. 

That was until the scene finally came where the little girl crawled out of the ex-husband's T.V. 

“AAAAHHHH! TURN IT OFF, DIB!” Zim demanded. 

“What? It’s not like it’s real,” Dib said, doing his best not to laugh. “She can’t get you.” 

Zim suddenly tackled him, reaching for the remote. “TURN IT OFF YOU STUPID HUMAN OR I WILL TEAR OFF YOUR EYEBROWS!” 

Dib released a snicker, unable to keep up the façade. “What, is the mighty Irken Invader afraid of a little girl crawling out of a well?” 

Zim growled, giving Dib a deadly glare, finally managing to snatch the remote away from the human. Dib looked far too amused for his own good. “You think you’re funny, do you?” he asked, his tone dangerous. 

Dib let himself give a full-on laugh. “Sorry. I just had to see how you would react.” 

Zim continued to narrow his eyes before he smirked wickedly. “Why don’t we see the nice videos Gaz sent me, hmm?” 

Dib gave him a confused look. “Huh?”  

Zim merely began scrolling through the choices on the screen before clicking the select button, not even giving Dib a chance to read what it was. However, as soon as the footage revealed itself, his eyes widened in horror. 

 _“Hello, people of Earth!”_ a thirteen year old Dib said into the camera. _“Today is the day! The day I show the world the terrible monster_ _Zim_ _really is!”_  

“Turn it off, Zim,” Dib ordered, his face flushed with embarrassment. 

“Holy Irk, your head was _enormous_ ,” Zim taunted, keeping the remote well away from Dib. “I mean, it’s still huge now but _wow.”_  

Dib leapt forward, tackling Zim down and reaching for the remote. Zim just cackled, successfully keeping it from the human's reach. Their tussle threw them to the floor with a hard thud, the remote skittering away across the carpet. They struggled against each other for a while before Zim managed to pin Dib down. He smirked victoriously. 

“Ready to admit that I’m the superior one?” Zim asked mockingly. “And that you’re nothing more than an awful, little, stink-beast?” 

Dib glared up at the Irken. He hated that Zim usually had no trouble getting the upper hand. The fact that he could feel a bit of carpet burn on one of his arms added to his irritated state. However, he'd been training with Dek for months. In a quick flash he broke free of Zim's grip and flipped their positions, slamming the Irken’s wrists down in either side of his head. Dib smirked at the other’s baffled expression. 

“I'm not thirteen anymore, Zim,” Dib said, his tone low as he leaned in close to the Irken's face. “I haven’t been training for nothing.” 

Zim couldn’t help the shudder that ran through him. Having the human loom over him like this, those burning golden eyes focused entirely on him, it made his body respond in a way he had only experienced once or twice before. An ache between his thighs had appeared, beckoning for attention.  

And if the bulge he felt pressed against him from Dib's pants was any indicator, he wasn’t the only one feeling it. 

Dib watched as Zim's face morphed into a look of evil mischief. He felt his stomach knot with nerves, not liking that expression one bit. However, he had not predicted that Zim would raise his hips up, bucking teasingly against Dib's sudden hard-on. He gasped, face flushing as he glowered down at the little bug. “Stop it, Zim,” he said, unable to help how breathless he sounded. 

Zim's smirk only widened as he started grinding against Dib more insistently. “Oh? But why?” he asked in mock innocence. 

Dib growled. Zim wasn’t fooling anyone. The Irken knew full well what he was doing. He struggled to keep his head, not wanting things to get out of hand. 

But, damn, if that look in those ruby eyes and the way Zim was moving against him wasn’t tempting… 

His body acted before he had a chance to stop it, leaning down and kissing Zim almost violently. Zim responded eagerly, his tongue wrestling with Dib’s inside their mouths. Dib began grinding back against Zim, moaning as the friction sent waves of pleasure through his whole body. He groaned at the muffled keens Zim was making as the Irken rolled his hips almost desperately against Dib's. Hands wandered and roamed, and soon both of them were shirtless, relishing in skin on skin contact. 

However, Zim wasn’t about to give in that easily. There was a flash of movement and Dib found himself pinned once more, this time by two of Zim's PAK legs. 

“That’s not fair, you jerk,” Dib told him. 

Zim leaned down, continuing to look horribly smug. “You should know better by now,” he purred, drinking in Dib's shirtless form. Months of training had served him well, toning his lanky frame with lean, defined muscle. Zim pulled his gloves off and tossed them aside.  

Dib's heart beat doubled in time as those exposed hands began undoing his pants. “Zim,” he said in slight protest. He didn’t want things to go too far, especially with him pinned like this. 

“Relax, my little Earth-monkey,” Zim nearly cooed, not making Dib feel the least bit reassured. “Zim is just going to help you with your _problem_.” 

Before Dib could say anything else he found himself choking on his breath as Zim's fingers began trailing up and down his fully exposed cock. Zim couldn't help how smug he felt. He had done an almost nauseating amount of research about this sort of thing, and he could tell by the way Dib flushed, how the human bit his lip to keep from making noise, that he was definitely doing something right. The Irken leaned in closer as he moved his hand up and down Dib's length at a slow and steady pace. 

"Face it, Dib," he whispered against his ear, relishing in how the human failed to keep his needy moans quiet. "You are mine. Your body is mine. Your entire being is mine." He glance at Dib to find gold eyes narrowed angrily, but the way the human's member hardened even more in Zim's hand gave away how much he enjoyed those words. Zim leaned forward and bit at Dib's lower lip. "Now surrender to me." 

Dib attempted to growl out a retort, but it came out more like a pleased groan. He furrowed his brow in frustration, resisting the urge to buck into Zim's hand. He needed to get free of these stupid PAK legs so he could fight back, but how? 

Even in his fogged up state, a thought struck Dib, remembering what Dek had taught him the one time the hybrid had used his fake PAK in training. PAK legs weren't too different from an Irken's other appendages. He just had to distract Zim enough to get him to let go. 

It was difficult, with his pants and boxers shoved down to mid thigh and Zim stroking his dick at an almost leisurely pace, but he managed to lift one of his legs and wrap it around Zim, bringing the Irken flush with his body. Zim let out a stunned squawk, which was cut off into a high pitched moan as Dib bit into his exposed neck. He continued to suck and bite, almost smirking as the hand on his cock faltered. Then, he felt the grip on his wrists loosen. 

There was another struggle as Dib pushed Zim down to the carpet. His metal legs were successfully deactivated, shooting back inside the PAK. Finally, Dib managed to restrain the Irken's wrists above his head, easily gripping them with one hand. He trailed the other downward, pulling at Zim's leggings. 

"Stupid alien, did you really think I would go down that easily?" Dib asked almost mockingly. 

Zim gave him a murderous look, torn between being annoyed at, yet again, being pinned down, and being even more aroused at how much Dib had improved at fighting him. In the past had Zim ever managed to catch the human with his PAK legs it would have been the Irken's assured victory. His squeedlyspooge fluttered with anticipation as he watched Dib pull his leggings down to his knees. 

Dib couldn’t help but stare. Zim’s anatomy wasn’t like his, but it wasn’t completely different either. A long, hard member jutted out from between Zim’s thighs. It was maroon in color, smooth and glistening. It appeared to have come out of some sort of sheath, judging by the slightly pulled back skin that surrounded it. 

Zim grew impatient, succeeding in getting one of his hands free from Dib's grip. He reached over and took hold of the human's dick once more, gripping it firmly. 

"Zim!" Dib protested, having to let go of Zim's other hand to brace himself on the carpet so he didn't fall. 

“You might want to stop staring and get to work, Dib,” Zim said, pushing himself up to brush his lips against the human's neck. “I have _quite_ the head start.”    

Dib glowered, moving his hand up along Zim's thigh and hip, making his way to the Irken's literally alien erection. He traced along the pulled back skin along the base, hearing Zim inhale sharply. 

“Heh. You’re pretty sensitive, aren’t you?” Dib teased, his hand beginning to glide easily along Zim’s slick member.   

Zim’s breathing became heavy, punctuated by small moans of pleasure. He nipped Dib's neck hard enough to bruise. “Shut up. You’re not going to win.”   

 “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Dib whispered huskily. His hand stroked Zim’s cock with far more confidence, loving the noises the Irken would never admit to making. “You want me so badly.”  

A strange noise began to emit from Zim’s chest. It sounded almost like a growling purr, reminding Dib of a some sort of big cat. The hand on Dib’s cock, which had been lax for just a moment, reclaimed its previous rhythm. Dib felt sweat gather along his hairline, the fingers of his free hand digging into the carpet. God, it felt incredible to have Zim touching him like this. Zim’s hand was smaller than his own, but it was soft and warm, and every now and then the Irken's thumb would caress the head of his dick on its way down. He did his best to contain the sounds he was making, but he felt like he was failing. 

 But he knew if he came first that Zim would never let him live it down.  

“You – you’re the one who always tries to claim me every time I so much as kiss you,” Zim said through rapid breaths. Oh, Irk it would so easy to just give in. He could never put into words how amazing Dib’s hand on his member felt. So big and hot, firm but gentle. “You needy, little worm.”  

Dib leaned forward and sank his blunt teeth into Zim’s collarbone in retaliation, earning him a loud keen. That wasn’t necessarily true. They were both guilty of getting caught up in the moment. “Says the one constantly putting marks on me,” he growled. He figured this would be one of the only times he hated Zim’s regeneration factor. He wanted to put his own marks on that perfect, green skin, to show everyone else just who Zim belonged to. 

“You…should have marks on you,” Zim told him, no longer able to resist bucking into Dib’s  hand. “You’re…you’re mine.”  

Dib’s free hand left the carpet, reaching up grabbing the Irken by his chin, forcing them to make eye contact. “It goes both ways, Zim. So if I’m yours,” he leaned closer, his mouth moving along Zim’s as he spoke. Those ruby eyes fluttered to half-mast. “You’re mine.”  

Something about those words, Dib’s possessive tone, those golden eyes boring into his very soul, it tore right through Zim. He struggled to keep his rhythm on Dib’s length, but all he wanted was to surrender, for Dib to give him sweet release. “Oh, I hate you  _so much_ ,” he moaned out, stroking Dib faster as he kissed him fiercely. 

Dib moaned into the kiss, unable to even pretend to be unaffected. As they pulled away for air, Dib panted out, “Oh,  _God_ , Zim.”  

The competition was long forgotten, both of them fully giving into the pleasure they were receiving. Loud pants and moans filled the now sweltering room, punctuated by fervent kissing as they jacked each other off. Zim’s free hand came up and wrapped around Dib’s neck, his face nestling into the human's shoulder. Dib felt him tense, heard his moans go higher in pitch. And then Zim bit down onto the human's skin, muffling a loud mewl as he came hard into Dib’s hand.  

It was too much. The sounds Zim made, the hand on his dick, the bite on his shoulder. It all sent Dib over the edge right with Zim. He clung to the Irken just as tightly, crying out wordlessly with his orgasm. 

As they came down from their high, Zim removed his mouth from Dib’s shoulder. He took his hand from Dib’s cock, wiping his offending fluids on the now soiled carpet. They would need to clean up before retiring for the night. He rested his head on Dib’s chest. He’d broken the skin on his shoulder and it was bleeding slightly.  

“That’s going to scar, you jerk,” Dib told him breathlessly. Now that the adrenaline had left him, he could feel the stinging pain of the bite. 

Zim nuzzled under Dib’s chin. “Mmm…it’s not the worse I’ve ever done to you.”  

Dib couldn’t help but grin. “Fair enough.” He wrapped his arms around Zim and pulled him close. Zim only made a small sound of protest, but didn’t try to escape the embrace. Dib leaned down and kissed the base of one of the Irken's antennae. He'd learned the hard way that touching any other part of the appendages could be painful to Zim, but he seemed to enjoy when the bases where kissed or caressed.  

Dib pulled back a bit so he could look at Zim properly. He noticed how Zim's strange erection suddenly retreated back into his body, the pulled back skin closing around it. He felt Zim tug at his hair and yelped. "Hey!" 

"Stop staring," ordered Zim, not looking as grumpy as Dib would expect.  

"What, I can't look at you?" Dib asked, annoyed. 

"Yes! I mean, no!" Zim snarled as he narrowed his eyes. "You are being a creep!" 

Dib frowned. So much for basking in the afterglow. "You're a creep," he retorted. 

"You're the one staring at me with your science-y eyes!"  

Dib had no idea what Zim was talking about, but he honestly wasn't in the mood to argue. He was suddenly very tired. So, instead, he leaned forward and mumbled, "Shut up," before kissing Zim lazily. The Irken gave a short, muffled sound of complaint, but began kissing back anyway. They pulled away after a moment, their gazes locked once more. 

Dib felt something stir in his chest. Those big ruby eyes were focused on him like he was the only thing in the entirety of space. Like he was all that exist. Like he was all that mattered. It made Dib's stomach do a summersault and his heart pound erratically. 

It got worse as Zim reached up and cupped his face in his hands. The cool, soft skin felt so nice against Dib’s still overheated cheeks. Zim leaned in and pressed there foreheads together before speaking in Irken. The phrase had Dib freeze all at once. 

 _"I want you forever."_  

Dib continued to stare into Zim's eyes, looking for some sort of sign that maybe this was a joke. That phrase was a big deal to Irkens. He'd learned that from Midge and Matsuri. It was basically the Irken version of 'I love you.’ 

And Dib felt the stirring in his chest grow, and he could feel words in his mouth. Three little words that would be an appropriate reply. Three little words that were wanting to be said. Three little words that sat at tip of his tongue, that could deepen and solidify his and Zim's relationship even more. 

And yet, he hesitated, unable to get himself to speak. What if this was just his pleasure sated brain causing him feel this way? What if he said those words only to realize he hadn't been ready to say them? That he didn't really mean them? He knew where Zim's feeling were. He had known for a while. And because of that he wanted to do his damndest to make sure he did this right. 

And that included not saying or doing anything too soon. 

Zim patted Dib's cheek a little too hard, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Come on, human. Your fluids are disgusting." 

Dib gave him an unimpressed look. Well, at least Zim didn't appear upset by his lack of response. "You aren't exactly one to talk," he said, indicating the stray strip of lilac-colored cum on his belly. 

"Nonsense! My fluids are perfect," Zim said, pulling Dib up from the floor. They both had an awkward moment of resituating themselves before retreating to the bathroom to clean up, using a couple of wash clothes. Dib noticed that they really needed to take a trip to the laundry room soon. They'd been so busy with everything else that chores were getting neglected. 

As they exited the bathroom, Dib suddenly asked, "Do you...wanna stay with me tonight?" 

Zim looked up at him and squinted an eye. "Eh?" 

“I mean.. you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” It was ridiculous, but after having such an intimate moment, Dib didn't want Zim away from him, even if it was one room away.  

Zim continued to stare, looking at Dib like he was saying something stupid. After a long pause, Zim responded with a smirk, "I suppose I could stay with you, my poor, lonely, human." 

"I'm not lonely! It's just..." There was so much going on, so much that lied ahead, and Dib suddenly found the idea of sleeping alone very bothersome. 

"It's alright, Zim understands," said Zim, patting Dib's bare chest. "But no snoring! If I hear you snore I will rip out your spleen!" 

Dib rose a brow. "Do you even know where my spleen is?" 

"...Yes." 

"Uh huh." 

They headed to Dib's room, bantering and teasing each other as they went. Dib could still feel those three little words swirling in his head, squeezing his chest. He felt the urge to say them aloud, and also the need to keep them to himself for now. There was no need to rush anything, after all. They had plenty of time. 

 _Next time_ , he told himself, _Next time._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have literally become a human cheese ball and I am so, so sorry.


	21. Chapter 21

Zim stayed in Dib’s bed the rest of the week. At first he told himself he would wait until the human fell asleep and then leave, but he found himself lingering. It was strangely comforting to be near Dib as he slept, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, the occasional flutter of his long, dark eyelashes. Zim would never deny Dib was beautiful (not that he would ever admit it, either.) 

On the morning they were meant to head out to rendezvous with the Resisty, the air was tight with tension. Zim and Dib barely said a word to each other as they packed their things and pulled on their Team Nebula uniforms. The silence remained as they headed out of the dorms, making their way to hop a hover-bus to the port. While they were seated on the bus, however, Zim nudged him reassuringly. Dib gave him an appreciative smile. 

Not one member of the crew said anything as they filed into the _Nazo_. Gir didn’t even speak from Zim’s shoulder.  They exchanged looks, all looking as anxious as Dib felt. Months of training and studying. Of getting his ass kicked by Midge and Dek alike. It all lead to this. 

“Set course for Vort, Yara,” Dek ordered quietly, leaning back in his captain’s chair. 

“Yes, sir,” she responded, immediately pressing buttons and flipping switches. She suddenly grinned cheekily. “I suppose we should be thankful that someone upgraded our warp drive, huh, Captain?”  

Dek gave her an amused look before looking at Zim out of the corner of his eye. Dib almost burst into laughter at how Zim puffed up with pride. “Yeah,” Dek said dryly. “Remind me to request that E.J. gets a raise.” 

Zim gaped. “I will tear your eyeballs from your stupid skull!” he yelled. 

From her seat behind Dek, Midge could be heard giggling. Dib snorted and gave Zim a light nudge. Zim still continued to look annoyed. He even appeared to be pouting. 

“Stop being a smeet, you smeet-face,” Dib teased, throwing one of Zim’s silly insults in his face. It made more sense now that Dib knew that smeets were what Irkens called their babies. 

Though it did annoy him that Zim had called him an infant, but that had been ages ago. 

“Zim is no smeet!” Zim retorted angrily. “You are a smeet!” 

Dib shook his head. He spoke too soon. 

 

00000000000000000 

 

The rendezvous point was Alda, Vort’s smallest and farthest moon. It took them almost two days to reach their destination, instead of the month it would have if Zim hadn’t upgraded their warp. Dib couldn’t help but be proud of Zim. He really had done a lot for this team. He’d heard Midge teasingly ask Dek if he was happy they had recruited him as well. Dek had just grunted in response. 

Dib took a deep breath through his nose as he stared out the window, trying to calm his buzzing nerves. Dek was currently in a conference with Lard Nar, going over their plan one last time. Dib could see Vort from the ship’s window, a dark violet circle, with large rings that crossed over at an angle. It reminded Dib of a smaller, purple Saturn. It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Dib had always loved everything to do with space, and so was fascinated by the sight. 

He flexed his fingers for a moment, allowing his thoughts to wander. If it weren’t for Zim coming into his life, he would’ve never seen any of this. He probably never would’ve seen space, period. He never would have been spotted by Team Nebula. He never would’ve had this scary, yet thrilling, opportunity to help take down the most feared Empire in existence. 

Sure, he also wouldn’t have had as many injuries or near death experiences, but Dib honestly didn’t mind that at this point. Really, how many people could say they were once locked in a epic battle for their planet since they were eleven years old? 

Dib nearly jumped when the Irken in question appeared beside him. “What’s on your mind, stink-beast?” he asked, poking the human’s head. 

Dib swatted Zim’s hand away, but he was smiling. “Just…reminiscing,” he said. He looked back at Vort, and anxiety clenched at his stomach. “I guess I’m trying to distract myself.” 

Zim squinted an eye at him. He could see nervousness in every move the human made. “You have no reason to be nervous,” he said. “You’re more than capable of this task.” Zim knew this. If anyone could do this, it was Dib. 

Dib felt warmth in his cheeks. “Well, I’m glad you think so,” he replied with a shrug. 

Zim shoved him lightly. Dib always sold himself so short. “I know so.” He walked around until he was in front of Dib, stealing the human’s entire focus. He reached over and lace their hands together. “After all, anyone who can stop Zim must be amazing.” 

Dib snorted. “So does that make me more amazing than you?” he teased. 

“Never!” Zim replied firmly. “You can never measure up to my greatness!” 

Dib laughed at Zim’s logic. This crazy Irken was so ridiculous. He pulled Zim toward him and wrapped an arm around his small waist, startling him slightly. Then Zim gave a tiny smile, his big, ruby eyes radiating so many strong emotions. Zim was so extreme. So all or nothing. And so much of that was directed at him. It made Dib want to hold Zim and never let go. 

His eyes shifted to Vort for merely a second. Soon he and Zim would be sneaking into the main weapons facility to deactivate the Subordinate Brain. It wouldn't be easy, and it was going to be dangerous. 

“You can do it, Mary!” Gir said from Zim’s shoulder. “You the bestest, smartest, nicest person ever!” 

Dib smiled at the robots encouragement. Zim, however, growled quietly, “And that is why you are staying on the ship.” 

Gir looked completely shattered by this news. “But, Masta’, I wants to help!” 

“You can help by staying on the ship and assisting E.J,” ordered Zim. Luckily Gir had won most of the crew over with his super friendly nature and almost endearing insanity. The only one who didn’t seem to care for him was Krugg, but Dib had a feeling Krugg didn’t care for a lot of people. 

“Aww,” Gir whined with a pout, hopping off of Zim’s shoulder. “Okay…” He then smiled brightly. “I’m gonna go make cupcakes!” he shrieked, running off the bridge and down the hall. 

Dib and Zim exchanged looks. “I don’t want to know what making cupcakes actually is,” said Dib worriedly. 

“Neither to do I,” replied Zim, hoping the robot didn’t damage anything. Gir had been very good since his upgrades, though, so maybe there wasn’t much to worry about. 

Zim looked up to see Dib staring out the window again, his eyes distant and concerned. Zim slowly reached up and touched his cheek gently. Their eyes met once more, Zim's glowing with determination.  

"I will protect you, my Dib," the Irken vowed quietly. 

Dib couldn't help but snort. "I can take care of myself, you know." 

"No," Zim replied, shaking his head. "You're a stupid, flimsy human. One shot to the wrong place and you'll die." 

Dib rolled his eyes. "Then I won't get shot." 

"Yes, because I won't let you," Zim insisted. "You are not allowed to die until Zim says so. You are mine and you will obey." 

Dib shook his head. "You're so ridiculous," he said, chuckling slightly. His stomach turned uncomfortably as they just looked at each other. What if something happened to one of them? Or both of them? What if they failed? 

 _Next time,_ he told himself over and over again. _Next time. Next time._  

But what if there wasn’t a next time? 

His grip on Zim tightened, and he leaned down and touched his forehead to the Irken's. "I want to tell you something-," 

He was abruptly cut off by Zim's hand covering his mouth. Dib gave him a perplexed look, but Zim merely smiled assuredly. Dib would never understand where all that confidence came from. 

"Tell me when this is over, my Dib," Zim told him. He could tell that the human was getting nervous and scared. His eyes showed Zim everything. He needed Dib to focus and remain calm, otherwise this whole mission could fall apart. 

Also, he wanted to to make it clear they _would_ come back... 

Dib pulled Zim's hand from his mouth and kissed him, nibbling the Irken's bottom lip lightly. He only pulled away when he heard giggling. Both he and Zim looked up to see Matsuri and Yara looking way too amused, while the rest of the crew looked like they were all trying not to pay attention. Dib felt his face heat up. It was easy to forget that other people were around when he was with Zim. 

"Sorry," he mumbled to Zim, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Zim tilted his head in confusion. "I don't see why you're apologizing." Dib hadn't done anything wrong. 

"I just...we usually don't give into...erm, public displays of affection," Dib explained. 

"Ah," Zim replied in understanding. His face scrunched up in thought. He and Dib were only ever all over each other when they were in private, but it wasn't a conscious effort. It just felt more natural to be that way. It was nice, too. It was like he and Dib had their own little world that no one else was privy to. 

However, Zim didn't really care if others were around, as long as he and Dib kept things at holding hands and kissing. Their other, newly discovered activities were definitely better suited for the privacy of their bedroom. 

"I don't mind," Zim said with a shrug. His expression morphed into a seductive smirk. "I like letting other's know you are mine." 

Dib smirked right back. "We've been over this, Zim. If I'm yours, you're mine." 

Zim stood on his toes, intent on reclaiming his human's mouth. "I suppose I can live with that." 

"Get a room, you two," Dek said as he entered the bridge of the ship. 

Both Dib and Zim looked up, pulling away from each other just a bit. Midge threw them a knowing grin as she stood beside Dek in the middle of the room. Dib thought about saying something, but the serious look on Dek's face made him reconsider.  

The crew gathered around in an awkward circle, Milgor having to stand in the front while Krugg hung in the back. Dek pulled out a small tablet from his pocket. "I'm sending all of you the map of the facility to your communicators," he explained. He looked right at Dib. "The location of the Sub-Brain is marked. If anything goes awry the map will make it much easier for others to find you." He looked at the rest of the crew. "E.J, Matsuri and Milgor, I'm gonna have you stay on the ship. We'll send a distress signal if things get dicey." 

"Now once we land, we'll obviously be splitting up. Dib and Zim will head for the room with the Sub-Brain while the rest of us help with the jail break. The Brain's gotta be deactivated as quickly as possible. If it manages to send a signal to the Main Brains and call the Armada, we will be beyond screwed." 

Dib felt the pang of anxiety return to his gut. He felt Zim nudge him and managed a nervous smile. They both turned to Dek and gave him a nod. 

"One more thing," Dek explained. "There's a lot of people in on this. Lard Nar's got a few people that we haven't met. We talked about a code phrase so we would know who's friend and who's foe. So if you come across someone claiming to be on our side, ask for the code phrase. If they don't know it, shoot first and ask questions later." 

"What's the code phrase?" Asked Krugg. 

Midge suddenly snickered under her breath, earning her a reprimanding look from Dek. The captain sighed loudly before answering. "Peach mango salsa." 

A thick silence fell over the crew. Dib bit his lip, doing his best not to start laughing. What the hell kind of code phrase was that? He was doing a good job until he caught Midge's gaze. She was also struggling not to laugh, but once their gazes met they both doubled over in complete guffaws. It wasn't long until the rest of the crew joined in. 

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Dek said in exasperation. Dib was sure he saw the corner of his mouth twitch. 

"Where in Bloop's name did you even get that phrase?" Zim asked between cackles. 

"It needed to be something random enough that the enemy couldn't guess it but also easy to remember," Dek explained, shaking his head. Once everyone calmed down he folded his arms, his expression serious once more. "This is it, people. This is the moment we either make a dent in the revolution, or we just become more casualties to the Irken Empire." He gave them a small smirk. "Let's roll out!" 

"Yes sir!" The crew responded enthusiastically. 

 

0000000000000000000 

 

The ride to Vort from Alda was tense, even with the fast pace their ship was going. Dib could see the Resisty ships taking on the barricade outside the planet through the window. It looked terrifying. Yara had to steer a bit erratically, avoiding enemy ships and friendly fire alike. They managed to slip through the opening the Resisty made without too much damage. 

Dib gaped once they landed and exited the ship. The sky of Vort was just as purple as the planet had looked from space. The ground was gray and rocky, and Dib could see mountains in the distance passed the facility in front of them. There was no foliage to be found. 

“Look alive, Membrane,” Midge said, nudging him as they headed out of the ship. Dib noticed how she had two swords strapped to her back. He took a moment to double checked his guns to make sure the safeties were on, keeping one in his hand and the other stowed away for now. 

When Dib looked up he found Dek staring at him intently. Dib gave him a confused look, but the hybrid answered before Dib could ask. “I’ve mapped out the best route to the Sub-Brain,” he explained. “There’s a service entrance over on the north side. There might still be some guards, but most of them should be distracted by us.” 

Dib took a deep breath and nodded. He pulled out his communicator to see the route for himself. It looked like the Sub-Brain was at the end of a long, winding hallway. He looked back at Dek, finding him looking rather distracted. “What?” Dib asked. 

“Nothing,” Dek replied. He reached out put his hand on Dib’s shoulder, his emerald gaze intense. “We’re counting on you, Agent Membrane.” 

Dib mentally swatted away the nervousness he was feeling. “Yes, sir.” 

Dek nodded, removing his hand before his gaze drifted down to Zim. Zim straightened his posture, his expression fierce. Dek offered him a strange smile as he spoke a short Irken phrase. Zim smirked, replying the same phrase back. Dib’s brow furrowed in confusion. It was a phrase he had not yet learned. 

Dek gave them one last nod before walking away. The rest of the crew gave them reassuring nods and smiles as they followed the captain. Midge lagged behind, looking up at Dib and Zim almost desperately. 

“The two of you are not allowed to die,” she said. Even without the occasional glow, her blue eyes looked intense. “If you do, I will get with Gaz and make sure neither of you rest in peace.” 

Dib gave her a small smile. It really was nice to know that he had so many people who cared about him. “We’ll be fine, Midge.” 

“Of course,” added Zim arrogantly. “After all you have the amazing Zim on your side. So there is no need to fear, Midge-goon.” 

Midge managed a small smile at those words, her gaze darting between the two of them. She recited the same Irken phrase Dek and Zim had before. Then, with a frazzled looking turn, she darted off after Dek and the rest of the crew. 

As she walked away, Dib turned to Zim. “What does that phrase mean?” He asked. 

Zim looked up at him, as they began to make their way in the opposite direction toward the service entrance. It was always hard to translate Irken into English, with there being so many words that didn’t quite match up. “Literally translated, it comes out to ‘brother’s in arms,’” Zim explained. “But…I believe a closer translation is… ‘we’re in this together.” 

“Ah,” Dib said, smiling slightly. For about the millionth time he found himself glad that he had joined Team Nebula. He’d gone from having almost no one to an entire crew in the span of a year. It was crazy and amazing. Dib wouldn’t give it up for anything. 

He looked down at Zim, doing his best to repeat the phrase he had heard. Irken was still difficult for him, but every time he practiced he got better. He honestly wasn’t sure how Midge spoke it as well as she did. The whole language sounded like it was only made for an Irken tongue. 

Zim tilted his head, his antennea twitching as Dib struggled with the words. He shook his head. “Ugh. Your accent still needs work.” 

Dib rolled his eyes. “Your attitude needs work.” 

“Lies! You adore my attitude just like everything else about me!” A huge gun suddenly popped out of Zim’s PAK and landed in his hands. A smug grin came across the Irken’s face. “Now lower your obnoxious voice, Dib-worm. We’re getting close.” 

Dib scowled. “Says the loudest person I know” he pointed out, his tone significantly lower. He stared at Zim’s new gun for a moment. It was big enough that Zim had to hold it with both hands and was black and shiny with subtle red details. “Is that your present from Dek?” Dib asked. 

Zim smirked as they took cover behind a few large rocks. The service entrance was just over the hill, now. “Yes,” Zim answered. “Gaze upon my magnificent weapon of DOOM!” 

Dib couldn't help but make the dirty joke. "Shouldn't we wait until we get back?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.  

Zim squinted an eye. He'd learned that Dib usually made that gesture when he was trying to be suggestive. I was almost amusing that the human was better at being seductive when he _wasn't_ trying. "Would you focus, Earth-monkey?!" 

Dib suppressed a chuckle. "Sorry," he conceded, deciding that they really shouldn’t be playing around right now. He took a moment to peer over the rock, having to stand on his toes. Zim peeked around the side, staying slightly crouched. 

“I count three guards,” Zim said quietly. “There are some Vortian workers, but they shouldn’t give us any problems. Especially after we release them.” He looked back up at Dib. “Adjust your goggles to see if you pick up anyone else.” 

Dib rolled his eyes at the order but complied, adjusting the dial on his goggles to pick up heat signatures. He squinted a bit. “There are two more guards on the other side of the wall,” Dib explained. “Just outside the door.” 

“Hmm. Shouldn’t be too hard, then,” Zim said, cocking his gun. He smirked. “Ready to kick some ass, Dib-smell?” 

Dib smirked right back, turning the safety off on his own gun. He pulled out the second one and did the same. “You bet, Space Boy.” 

Slowly and quietly, they crept toward the entrance. Dib could see the Vortians going through some sort of delivery, noticing strange collars on their necks. He scowled, trying to keep himself from getting too angry. They were going to free them, after all. 

Once they were close enough to the opening, Dib and Zim looked at each other. “On three?” Dib asked. 

Zim grinned and nodded. “One.” 

“Two.” 

“Three!” They shouted at the same time before rolling out of their hiding place, guns blazing. The first two guards were taken down easily, caught completely unawares. The others gained their bearings quickly, taking out their weapons and firing back. Dib and Zim had to duck and dodge the rest of the way, but they’d been training for months and even had experience before that. They managed to incapacitate the remaining guards rather easily. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” Dib mentioned as they made to free the Vortian workers, finding the control panel for their collars and shutting them off. 

“Don’t get cocky, stink-brain,” Zim told him firmly. “There’s plenty more where they came from.” 

Dib was about to say something else, when one of the Vortians suddenly approached them. “Zim? Is that really you?” 

Dib rose a brow, his gaze darting between Zim and the smaller alien. Zim narrowed his eyes, trying to remember where he’d seen this particular Vortian before. Then, it hit him. “777?!” 

The Vortian beamed. “I can’t believe it! I heard rumors, but I thought it was too crazy to be true! You actually joined Team Nebula?” His expression became quizzical. “Did you get taller?” 

Dib resisted the urge to laugh as Zim’s chest puffed up proudly. “Yes, yes, gaze upon my magnificence!” 

777 chuckled. “You’ve gotta tell me all about this later,” he said. “Now I’m especially glad I got moved to this facility. I got to see this with my own eyes.” 

Zim squinted an eye at him. “Especially glad?” 

“Yeah,” 777 explained. “I’m the one who sent that encrypted message. It was pretty tough, too. These guards are the worse “ 

“Huh. What do you know,” Zim said thoughtfully. 

As amused as Dib was by all this, he nudged Zim to get him back on track. “We gotta go, Zim.” 

“Hmm? Oh, yes, of course,” Zim replied, waving his hand in dismissal. He turned back to 777. “Team Nebula and the Resisty are all over this place. You silly, tiny Vortians should be able to find some safety.” 

777 nodded. “We really do gotta catch up, later.” He said as he dashed off, waving excitedly  Zim looked ridiculously smug as he and Dib exited out into the hall of the facility. 

“Who was that?” Dib asked as they made their way down the hall, staying alert to any movement. 

“An old acquaintance,” Zim replied. “He was my supplier for all my weapons of epic DOOM!” 

“Huh,” Dib said. He gave Zim a teasing grin. “Remind me to tell him to not let you have anything without my approval.” 

“I can have whatever I want! And not even you can stop me!” 

“What are you talking about? I stop you all the time.” 

“I’ll stop your _breathing_ if you don’t shut your face!” Suddenly his antennae twitched up to attention. Both he and Dib froze. 

“What is it?” Dib asked, his gut twisting in worry. 

“Gunfire. But it’s rather far off.” He waved his hand in a beckoning motion. “Come on. How far is the Sub-Brain from here?” 

Dib took his communicator out, pulling up the route Dek had sent him. “We go down this hallway for a few doors, then turn left down another corridor,” he explained. “Then the hall curves around here. It’ll be at the end of that hall.” 

“Hey!” yelled someone suddenly from behind them. Another Irken guard stood there as they turned around, his weapon at the ready. “Stop!” 

Dib and Zim both easily dodged the initial shot before both shooting back. Their shots hit the guard directly, and he fell to the floor in a heap. Zim sighed heavily  “I almost wish they had let me wear my old Invader uniform,” Zim said as they continued down the hall. “It might have come in handy to sneak in without having to waste so much of our guns’ energies.” 

Dib rose a brow. “Wouldn’t they recognize you?” 

“Only if they ran my PAK,” Zim replied confidently. “Otherwise I could easily fool them into thinking I was someone important. Especially with my increased height. How do you think Dek made it so far the last time he was on Irk?” He tapped his chin. “Then again, who knows how many people know that I’m taller now, or would recognize me otherwise. I am, eh, rather well known.” 

Dib snorted. “I bet, Mr. Death Machine.” 

“Do not mock Zim!” 

“I’m not,” Dib said, a small chuckle escaping him.  He took a moment to look at Zim, painfully reminded of how well the Team Nebula uniform looked on him. He grinned as he said, “I think I like this uniform better.” 

Zim eyed him for a moment, smirking wickedly. “I know. I’ve notice how you _stare_ at me.” He reached over and trailed his hand up Dib's side, making the human shudder. 

Dib swatted his hand away. Leave it to Zim not to follow his own words. “Later, you menace," Dib told him. 

Zim continued to smirk even as he retracted his hand. “That better be a promise.” 

“Trust me, it is,” Dib assured. 

The rest of the corridor was strangely empty, and in Dib's opinion a little too quiet. He adjusted the dial on his goggles several times, but couldn't see any heat signatures nearby. It was unsettling, but Dib figured that maybe the Resisty and the rest of their team was causing enough of a ruckus to pull the guards away.  

He had almost convinced himself of that when they turned down the winding hall way. The lighting became a more purple hue, making it look extremely eerie. Dib did his best to shove his anxiety down.  

Zim stopped walked, his antennae twitching left and right. "What's up?" Dib asked quietly. 

Zim's eyes narrowed, scanning the hallway before them. "I'm almost certain I heard something close by." 

Dib frowned, moving closer to Zim. "Can you hear anything now?" 

Zim tensed, clutching his large gun close to his body. His antennae twitched a few more times, his ruby eyes widening. "Stay behind me, Dib." 

Dib glared. Not only did he absolutely hate that idea, but he was at least a head taller than Zim. "I can handle myself, Zim," he said. 

"It's my job to make sure you're giant head doesn't get shot off," Zim snarled. "Now do as I say." 

"Would you stop treating me like I have a fragile sticker on me? We've fought each other for years. We both trained for months. It's not like I'm new to any of this." 

Zim glowered up at the human. "We're not arguing about this right now!" 

Dib made a frustrated noise. "Look, I get that you want to protect me, okay? But I don't need you to!" 

"Dib!" Zim shouted. "Shut you corn-mouth before I shut it for you!" 

Just as Dib was about to retort, there was a sudden flurry of movement and gunfire. The two found themselves back to back, dodging and shooting back. The initial assailants were taken down easily, only to make room for several more armed Irkens. 

"Move, Dib!" Zim shouted, smacking the human to stir him into action. Dib didn't argue this time, barely missing a couple enemy shots. He and Zim fought their was through, trying to make it to the end of the hallway. 

"Why are there so many of them?!" Dib screamed, managing to beat a guard off of him while he shot at another. 

"I don't know!" Zim yelled back. "Maybe one of the other's tipped them off!" 

Dib growled as he continued to fight through, punching here and shooting there. He could literally see the door that lead to the Sub-Brain. The enemy Irkens must have known, too, because they seemed to start doubling their efforts. 

"Dib! No!" Zim screeched, practically throwing Dib to the floor. Zim then tackled the nearest guard, who had some sort of blade in his hand. He was easily incapacitated. Both Dib and Zim regained their bearings, firing rapidly into the crowd. 

"Did you have to throw me?" Dib complained, his head throbbing. 

"I wouldn't have had to if you'd just pay attention, you infuriating-," 

A loud blast cut Zim off as he was struck by a huge ball of blue energy. Dib watched in horror as Zim was tossed like a rag doll and slammed into the wall. 

"ZIM!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides from the angry mob that is sure to start gathering*


	22. Chapter 22

A second blast caught Dib’s attention, and he made a sharp movement to avoid being hit. He shot at the source, a tall Irken with a very large, cannon-like gun. Dib's shot's bounced off, revealing some sort of energy shield.  

"Shit," Dib hissed, trying to think on his feet. He noticed an open path down an adjacent hallway. He dodge-rolled toward Zim's unconscious body, scooping him up over his shoulder. He tried to ignore the pang in his chest as he felt something wet from Zim's abdomen.  

He took another sharp turn, avoiding the remaining gunfire as he sprinting down the hall, searching for a place to haul up in until back up could arrive. He found a room that looked like an armory, and after checking that it was empty he practically dove in and shut the door. He blasted the key pad with his gun to make sure no one could just walk in.  

Dib could hear the large group clamoring around outside the door. He knelt down and gently sat Zim against the wall, keeping one of his guns at the ready. He waited for their to be no noise to let out the breath he was holding.   

He looked over at Zim. The Irken hadn't moved since being hit with the blast. And, if Dib were honest, he didn't look so good. The wound in Zim's torso was large, soaking his uniform in bright pink blood. Dib forced himself not to panic. Zim's PAK would fix that right?  

Doing his best to keep his head, Dib pulled his communicator out and called for Dek. The hybrid's image appeared on the screen, but it was frazzled and pixelated. His voice came out jumbled. "Dib? Did you get that Brain down?" Asked Dek.  

Dib shook his head. "We got ambushed out of nowhere. Zim...Zim's hurt pretty bad."  

A cringe-worthy crackling sound emitted from the communicator. Dek’s image fizzled and glitched, causing the hybrids words to be slurred sounding. All Dib could make out was “PAK” and “fine” 

“What?” Dib said loudly. “You’re breaking up.” 

All Dib could make out next was something about interference and back up before the communication was cut completely. 

“Fuck!” Dib snarled, resisting the urge to slam his communicator to the ground. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair, looking back up at Zim. He’d seen how fast Zim’s regeneration could work. Why was it going so slow this time? 

“Zim?” Dib said, gently reaching over and shaking his partners shoulder. “Can you hear me?” 

There was no response. Not even a twitch of antennae. 

Dib’s brows furrowed. “Come on, Zim, wake up.” He shook his shoulder again when he still got no reaction. “If this is a joke it’s not funny.” 

Zim was limp. Complete dead weight. Dib couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. He pulled the Irken into his arms, trying to see if there was anything he was missing. A bubble of panic began to simmer in Dib’s gut when he saw his PAK. It was dinged up pretty bad, with a small dent toward the bottom. Had...had something been damaged? Was that why it was taking so long? 

“Come on, Zim, open your eyes,” Dib implored. He needed to know what to do. He didn’t trust himself to tinker with Zim’s PAK while he was so injured. What if he made it worse? 

Dib reached up tentatively to flicked the tip of Zim’s antennae knowing it could send Zim howling and snarling. He knew he was playing with fire, but even if Zim woke up just to throttle him, at least Dib knew he was okay. 

Zim remained still. His face hadn’t even contorted in discomfort. 

Fear gripped Dib’s chest in a suffocating hold. The bubble of panic was now boiling over and he felt a wave of nausea. “No,” he said brokenly. “No you can’t do this to me…” 

Dib’s entire body shook and his eyes began to burn. He pushed his goggles out of the way, noticing them fog up some. This couldn’t be happening. This had to be some sort of nightmare. “You…you can’t leave me like this, Zim!” he begged. “We…we have a mission, remember? We…we gotta shut down that Brain. Remember? I…I can’t do this without you. I need you...” A choking sob escaped him. He couldn’t even remember the last time he cried. “You…you can’t die Zim! If I’m not allowed to die than neither are you!” He drew Zim into his lap, feeling stupidly helpless.  

Zim’s body continued to make no response. 

“Zim…” Dib swallowed, trying to maintain some control over himself. If he didn’t he would fall apart completely. “Zim I…I love you.” His chest felt like it was exploding with emotions. Anger. Fear. Desperation. “Do you hear me you insufferable green lizard?! I love you!” 

He didn’t know what he had expected. Of course his confession wouldn’t just magically bring Zim back to him. He buried his face in the Irken’s neck. “Please...” he begged the lifeless body, the universe, anyone who would listen. 

He was met with deafening silence… 

For a moment, anyway... 

“Ngh. You weren’t supposed to tell me until we got back.” 

Dib’s head shot up, his breath caught in his throat. He was pretty sure his heart had stopped beating for at least a second. Two beautiful, groggy looking ruby eyes were locked on him. Dib couldn’t bring himself to speak. 

“Ugh your face looks disgusting,” Zim grumbled. “Why do you humans have to cry so messily – mmph!” 

Dib cut Zim off as he smashed his lips to the Irken’s clumsily. An almost insane joy filled his entire body, warm and unyielding. He felt stupid as he felt more tears escape his eyes, happy ones this time. Zim hadn’t left him. He was alive! 

Zim returned the kiss weakly for a bit before pulling away. He gave Dib an amused smile as he asked, “Silly monkey, did you really think I would die so easily?” 

“Shut up,” Dib retorted half-heartedly. He couldn’t shake the goofy smile on his face. He reached up wipe his eyes with his sleeve. “You weren’t waking up. It…it didn’t even look like you were breathing!” 

Zim shook his head. “I told you that I go into a stasis mode when seriously injured. It directs almost all my energy to healing internal injuries. It’s great if we are in battle, since it can make an enemy think we’re dead.” 

Dib snorted. “Or your former enemy who’s now your boyfriend.” 

“It’s not my fault you jumped to conclusions,” argued Zim. He winced a bit, reaching down and touching the wound in his abdomen. Dib looked down to see that Zim’s regeneration was, indeed, working, just slower than usual. “I’m afraid it’s going to take a little longer.” Zim mentioned, sounding disappointed. 

Dib shook his head. “It’s fine. We’re waiting on back up anyway.” 

“Good, good,” Zim said, his gaze flitting elsewhere. Dib replaced his goggles, noticing Zim’s brow furrow. He nearly asked Zim if he was alright when the Irken looked back up at him. His hand came up to touch Dib’s face. 

“You…did mean what you said, correct?” Zim asked, his voice quiet but firm. 

Dib put his hand over the one his cheek, leaning forward to touch their foreheads together. He looked Zim right in the eyes, never wavering in his conviction. “Every word.” He whispered. 

Zim felt his squeedlyspooch jump, and he leaned up and reconnected their lips. Pure elation flooded his veins. He’d been pining over this stupid human for so long, and now Dib had finally said those words – had _meant_ those words. And he silently vowed now that we he would never give this up for anything in the entire universe. 

There was a loud crash, the armory door being blown out of the way. Zim and Dib pulled out of their kiss, pulling out their guns simultaneously, staring down two Irkens that stood in the hole. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out!” pleaded the shorter and chubbier of the two. “Peach mango salsa!” 

“Honestly,” the taller one scoffed, a hand on her hip. Her curly antennae twitched in agitation. “We need to talk to Lard Nar about new code phrases.” 

Dib exchanged glances with Zim, feeling confused. These Irkens weren’t dressed like the guards he had seen.  They both wore black pants, boots, and vests, along with loose fitting tunics. The shorter Irken’s tunic was maroon, while the female’s was charcoal. Dib figured they couldn’t be enemies seeing as they knew the code phrase. 

Dib looked back at Zim, finding him staring at the other two Irkens with a strange look on his face. Finally his ruby eyes widened in recognition. “Skoodge?!” 

The chubby Irken blinked for a moment before his jaw dropped. “ _Zim_?!” 

The female Irken looked just as flabbergasted. “ _You’re_ with Team Nebula?!” she cried. 

Zim gave her a toothy grin as he lowered his gun. “Good to see you escaped Meekrob in one piece, Tenn.” 

Tenn growled. “No thanks to our so-called leaders,” she replied bitterly. She looked at Dib. “Would you mind putting your weapon away?” 

Dib felt mildly sheepish, but with a reassuring nod from Zim he did as Tenn asked. Tenn then came closer and knelt down, Skoodge staying on  guard by the hole in the wall. “Could you lift him for me?” she asked Dib. 

Dib nodded, lifting Zim up so Tenn could look over his PAK. She examined it briefly before giving a nod of approval. “You have a small dent in your PAK, but it’s just superficial. The internal workings seemed to be in good order.” 

“Can I get that in writing?” Zim asked dryly. 

“You could but it won’t do any good,” replied Tenn with a smirk. “A word of a Defect means nothing.” 

Zim’s brow furrowed. “You-,” 

“All Invaders are Defects,” explained Skoodge. “It was one of the first things Lard Nar told us when he found us struggling through space.” 

Zim did his best to process this information. He remembered when he first learned about Dek, about him being the son of the great Invader Zon. It seemed the hybrid had tried to tell him even then. He almost felt he should be used to the lies the Tallest had made him believe, but he still found himself shaken. 

He looked up at Dib and met his gaze. The human gave him a reassuring smile, and Zim remembered how Dib had said he wasn’t broken. That he was just different. That he couldn’t be controlled. 

“I’m Tenn, by the way,” Tenn said to Dib courteously. “And that silly nitwit is Skoodge.” 

“Hey!” Skoodge protested. 

“Um…I’m Dib,” he replied. 

“So you’re the hacker everyone’s been talking about?” Skoodge asked excitedly. 

Dib shrugged. “I guess so.” 

Tenn's antennae twitched a bit, and a mischievous smirk spread across her face. “Are you two mates?” she asked. 

Dib couldn’t help the flush of his cheeks. “Um…” 

“The Dib and I are together,” Zim explained. “So don’t get any ideas. He’s mine!” 

Tenn rolled her eyes as she got to her feet. “I was only asking because your scents are all over each other.” 

“Wow, Zim,” Skoodge asked, “What happened to you on that planet?” 

Zim looked up at Dib, their eyes meeting. A stupid smile came across Zim’s face and Dib grinned in return. That would be a fun story to tell.

“As much as I would like to know that as well, we don't have time,” Tenn said. “We need to get to that Sub-Brain.” 

Dib frowned. "What about Zim? He's hurt pretty bad." 

"Dib-," Zim protested. 

"Oh, he'll be fine," Tenn replied dismissively. 

"What Tenn means is that his PAK should have him fixed up in no time," Skoodge said more helpfully. "Lots of people have tried to kill Zim before. That wound's nothing." 

Dib and Zim exchanged looks. Zim just shrugged, grinning slightly. Dib snorted, figuring he'd have to ask Zim about that some time. He only knew a few names on the list of people who had gone after Zim, himself included. 

"Alright, gloobs," Tenn said, clapping her hands. "We need to get moving." 

The three boys nodded. Zim made to get up on his own but stopped as he clutched his abdomen, grunting in pain. Dib rolled his eyes at his stubbornness before gathering Zim in his arms and lifting him up. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Zim demanded. 

"You still need to heal some more," Dib told him firmly. "There's no sense in you pushing yourself so hard." 

Zim glared. "I'm fine." 

Dib insisted, "Zim, you almost died." 

"I didn't almost die!" Zim argued. "I was in stasis!" 

"Oh my Bloop, whatever!" Tenn snapped. "Zim, you can hardly walk! Let your love-slave carry you." 

Both Dib and Zim growled at her. "I'm not his love-slave," Dib mentioned matter-of-factly 

"I don't care," replied Tenn, peering around the charred opening in the wall. Dib could see several unmoving Irken bodies. "Now, come on." 

Skoodge smiled over his shoulder as Tenn led the way out. "Don't mind her. She’s just in one of her bossy moods." 

"Less talking, more moving!" insisted Tenn, her eyes narrowed over her shoulder.

"See?" 

Dib and Zim just looked at each other for a moment before following after the other two Irkens. The entire hall was in shambles, covered in bright pink blood and burn marks. Tenn and Skoodge remained vigilant, weapons at the ready. Dib wondered how many more guards would be coming this way. He hoped not too many. With Zim injured in his arms, they were at a serious disadvantage. 

"Looks like we're in luck," Skoodge remarked brightly. "Coast is clear." 

"Don't let your guard down," Tenn said. "More could show up at any moment." 

They crept quietly down the hall, reentering the main corridor. Once again, Dib could see the door that held the Subordinate Control Brain. A strange glow came from the small window. 

Then he noticed the six guards blocking the way. 

"There they are!" One of them shouted, spurring the others into action. 

Tenn cursed harshly in Irken as she cocked her gun. "Go, Dib!" 

Dib didn't have to be told twice. He held Zim close to his body protectively as he wove through the crowd and rapid gunfire. Zim squirmed slightly before pulling out one of his smaller guns. "Zim, what are you doing?" Dib asked in exasperation. 

Zim ignored Dib for a moment, holding onto to him tightly as he began to fire over the human's shoulder. "What does it look like I'm doing?! I'm making sure we're not followed!" He yelled in reply. 

Dib rolled his eyes but didn't argue. They needed some way of defending themselves, since Dib's arms were mostly occupied. 

With one last quick dash, Dib bolted forward, sliding to a stop as they entered  the room with the Sub-Brain. Two more guards were inside. Dib reached for his own gun, extremely thankful that Zim was so light. Zim shifted in his arms and they both aimed their weapons at the guards, hitting them squarely in their chests. 

"You know," Dib said with a small grin, "I'm always surprised at what a good team we make." 

"I don't see why," Zim replied with a smirk. "I make everything amazing." 

"Yeah, yeah." 

"Hey, love birds," Tenn called from outside the door. "We're keeping guard. Now hurry up and get hacking." 

"Do Irkens just not know the word 'please?'" Dib asked, shaking his head. 

"I do!" Skoodge answered cheerfully. 

"Shut up, Skoodge," Tenn said exasperatedly. 

Dib chuckled, scanning the room. There were consoles and screens everywhere, all illuminated by a giant structure in the middle. It was literally a giant brain, hooked up to cables and wires. Dib began to chew the inside of his lip. "I don't even know where to begin..." 

Zim narrowed his eyes, searching the area as well. A part of him expected a room holding a Sub-Brain to be this complicated, but it was still daunting. However, he never liked it when Dib doubted himself. It made everything exceedingly more difficult...and annoying. 

However, perhaps the solution wasn't as complicated at the room, itself. 

"The Brain is surrounded by a shield," Zim observed, seeing things Dib couldn't, even with his goggles. Zim had made them to mimic closely to Irken eyes (with added features such as the zoom) but they still could not measure up to the real thing. "If you can deactivate the shield, we should be able to just blow it up." 

Dib gave him a wry smile. "You just want to blow something up." 

"Me?" Replied, Zim, feigning innocence horribly. "Never!" 

Dib chuckled, but he couldn't deny that Zim's idea had merit. "Alright," he said, circling around the console for something that resembled a keyboard. When he found it he sat Zim down in a nearby chair. Immediately the Irken began to pull out random things from his PAK, tinkering with them. 

"What are you doing?" Dib asked curiously. 

"Making a bomb," Zim answered smugly. "Duh!" 

Dib just smiled, turning back to the console. He began typing along, searching for a way to deactivate the shield around the Sub-Brain. An eerie voice suddenly spoke. "Identify yourself." 

Dib froze, his eyes darting about for the source of the voice. He looked at Zim, utterly baffled. 

"It's the Brain," Zim informed casually. 

"They talk?!" Dib asked. 

"They're super intelligent beings that even the Tallest must answer to," explained Zim as if Dib had asked a stupid question. "Of course they talk." 

Dib narrowed his eyes at Zim but said nothing. He went back to his current task, deciding to ignore the Brain for now. He found a screen that resembled something useful to get the shield down and began typing different codes to get through. 

"I see you are trying to bring my shield down," the Brain spoke again. "May I ask why?" 

Dib looked over at Zim. "Uh..." 

"We need to do some routine internal maintenance, Master Brain," Zim lied easily. "We shall put the shield back up as soon as we're done." 

The Brain seemed satisfied with that. "Ah. Well, if that is the case then you should have just said so." 

"Apologies, Master Brain," continued Zim. "My apprentice here isn't the brightest star in the galaxy if you catch my drift." 

Dib gave Zim a look that told him that he would pay for that comment later. 

"No harm done," said the Brain. "Let me lower my shield and-," the Brain paused. There was some awful beeping jingle that sounded off. It didn't sound good, at all. "Wait. Voice recognition initiated." 

Dib cringed. Definitely not good. 

"Uh oh," Zim said worriedly. 

"Voice recognition complete. Identified Irken exile and wanted traitor, Food Service Drone Zim." 

"I'm an Invader you disgusting slab of meat!" Zim shouted 

“Initiating emergency protocol,” The Brain remarked. The lights in the room dimmed suddenly, and dozens of lasers suddenly began shooting across the exits, blocking any means of escape. The holo-screen went red and a loud, obnoxious siren began blaring through the room. 

"What's going on in there?" Skoodge yelled from outside the door. 

"I don't know!" Dib shouted back. He frantically began typing at the keyboard. "I'm being locked out of the system!" 

"Well, unlock yourself out!" Tenn shrieked. "If the others hear that siren we're all dead!" 

"You think we don't know that?!" Roared Zim, managing to get up from his seat. His wound was almost healed at this point. Which was very good if they were going to have to fight their way out. 

"Dammit," Dib growled, his fingers flying across the different buttons. "It doesn't matter what I do. I get past one wall and another pops up in it's place." 

Zim took his place at another console, typing just as quickly. "We just have to keep trying," he said, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Ugh, if only this were that Brain from my existence evaluation. We would have had this done in seconds!" 

Dib cocked a brow. "Existence evaluation?" 

"Yes," Zim answered. "I got hooked up to one of the Main Brains on Judgementia and they went through a bunch of my memories. Back then I didn't understand what happened, but now I know that I would have been executed if not for my PAK being so corrupt." 

"What do you mean?" Dib asked. 

"Well, the Brain I was hooked up to couldn't handle it," Zim explained. "He went all goofy and changed his mind." 

Dib's eyes widened, the gears in his head turning. "Because you're Defective," he thought aloud. 

Zim's brow furrowed. "Yes, we've sort of established this." 

"No, Zim, think about it," Dib explained excitedly, his hands moving as he spoke. "The Brains they...they don't understand emotions. Joy, sadness," he looked directly at Zim, beaming, "love. They're nothing but logic. But... _you_ do understand all that. You can _ignore_ what they want! You _defy_ logic!" He looked back at the Sub-Brain in front of them. "Apparently so much that the Brains literally can’t handle it!" 

Zim felt such an overwhelming warmth all through his body at Dib's words. To the Empire, all of those things were horrible, worthy only of deactivation. But, he could see that to Dib, he wasn't just different. He was special. 

Then, he considered what Dib was getting at. Zim shook his head. "Dib, I understand your idea," he said carefully. "But...it's far too dangerous. All the Brains are connected. If even a fraction of the information in my PAK gets to the Main Brains, it could be disastrous." He had the location of Team Nebula in there, the names of all the members, experiments he'd helped Milgor with. There was a plethora of valuable information stored away. Information that could get lots of people killed. 

Not to mention, his memories of Dib, and regardless of everything else, he would not gamble with Dib's life. 

Dib slumped in defeat. "Shit, you're right," he said, running a hand through his tousled hair. "There has to be something we can do. A bug or...or a glitch we can take advantage of." 

Zim shook his head. The Brains were nothing but pure, perfect logic. The only way to defeat them was to blow them up or confuse them with ideas they didn't understand, as Zim had done several years ago. He opened his mouth to tell Dib this but...something struck him. Something he hadn't considered.  

 _"Since he’s a_ _glitched_ _SIR unit, we didn’t have to worry about him being connected with Irk."_  

"Glitched," Zim thought aloud. "Glitched!" A manic smile came across his face as a microphone popped out of his PAK. "GIR!" 

"Masta'!" Gir's high-pitched voice answered cheerfully.  

"I'm sending you my current location," Zim told him. "Come here immediately. Get here in less than five minutes and I will buy you all the tacos you could ever want." 

"TACOS!" Gir squealed. A high pitch scream followed and the communication was cut. The microphone returned to Zim's PAK.  

Dib stared at Zim, baffled. What was he planning? "Uh...Zim?" 

"Shh," Zim said, raising a finger for emphasis. "Wait for it..." 

Within a minute there was a loud clanging coming from the ceiling followed by a loud crash. Gir came in shrieking his head off, literally bouncing off the walls. He laughed nonsensically when he finally landed in front of Zim. 

"How...how did he get here so fast?" Dib asked in awe. 

Zim shrugged. "We defy logic." He answered affectionately. He looked back down at his robot minion. "Gir!" 

"Yes, my lord!" Gir acknowledged, his eyes temporarily going red. 

"I need you to stay perfectly still while Dib hooks a cable into you head. Do you understand?" 

"Soundwave acknowledges," Gir replied in a low serious tone. His eyes returned to their original cyan as he burst into giggles. 

"That means yes," Zim said, smiling proudly. 

"No more movies for either of you," Dib said, shaking his head. "They've rotted both your brains." 

"Your face is a brain!” Zim retorted. 

Dib just rolled his eyes. He popped the top off Gir's head and attached the appropriate cable. Surprisingly, the little robot was staying in place, though he was singing a fast pace pop song rather loudly. Dib ignore it as he returned to the console and pressed a few buttons. 

"Wait! What are you doing?" The Sub-Brain demanded, suddenly flashing a strange pink color. 

Dib merely flipped a switch here and there, double-checking that the information would relay properly. He smirked victoriously. "All set Zim!" 

The twisted, vicious grin on Zim's face should not have made Dib as hot and bothered as it did. "Gir!" Zim ordered. 

"Yeeesss?" Gir sang out happily. 

The tiniest glint of affection appeared in Zim's eyes. Dib made a mental note to tease him about that later. Zim continued, "Sing the Doom Song." 

Gir's already giant eyes became almost impossibly larger. He gave a huge grin and squealed excitedly. "Yous the bestest Masta' EVER!" 

"Yes, yes, I know," Zim replied smugly. 

Gir squealed again. Dib hadn't known such a frequency existed until now. Then, Gir began dancing like the little maniac that he was, singing the word 'doom' over and over in some strange pattern. 

"No, no!" The Sub-Brain yelled, sparks flying all over it and the rest of the room. Dib winced. "It's...too...STUPID!" The Brain gave one last garbled cry before the sparks fizzled, the left lobe fading to a gross dark gray. The shield vanished down into the surrounding console and the lasers locking them in disappeared from the exits. 

Zim grinned at his little SIR unit. "Well done, Gir." 

The robot giggled shrilly as Dib detached the cable from his head. Gir then leapt out at Zim and clung to him tightly. "The tacos, Masta'! The TACOS!" 

"Yes, yes, you will have your tacos," he told the robot, as he tried to pry him from his head. He rolled his eyes as he failed to do so. He picked up the device he'd been working on from the nearby chair, walking over and attaching to the now incapacitated Brain. He hit three buttons before looking at Dib with a smug grin. 

"And now we run," Zim said, taking off toward the door. 

Dib obeyed, chasing after Zim. "How long do we have?" 

"Oh...thirty seconds," Zim replied casually. 

"Thirty – ARE YOU CRAZY?!" 

Zim just cackled in replied as they exited the room, jetting passed Skoodge and Tenn. The other two Irkens began to follow them. 

"What's going on?" Skoodge asked. 

Dib opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a huge explosion. The four of them leapt forward and tumbled as the glass of the doors behind them shattered. Gir screeched cheerfully. 

When the explosion finally subsided, they could see the room the Sub-Brain had been in brightly lit with flames. They exchanged looks with each other for a moment before Dib's communicator buzzed. He pulled it out to answer. 

"What's up, Dek?" He asked once the captain's image appeared on the small screen. 

Dek grinned. His image and voice were much clearer than what they had been before. "Just letting you know that we have successfully taken the facility," he said. "Everything alright with you guys? We heard an explosion earlier." 

Dib looked at Zim, the two of them sharing proud grins. Dib turned back to the communicator. "Mission accomplished, Captain," he informed proudly. 

Dek's grin widened, nodding appreciatively. "Well done, gents." His eyes looked over at Tenn and  Skoodge standing nearby. "And thanks for going after them, you two." 

"You owe us, Dek!" Tenn told him. Skoodge just smiled and gave him a thumbs up. 

Dib couldn't help but laugh, feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and relief. He couldn't believe they had managed to pull this off. He looked at Zim again, catching those ruby eyes looking up at him softly. Dib's stomach flipped. For a minute there, he had been sure he would never see those eyes again. Even before all this he hadn't been able to imagine a life without Zim, but now...it was unfathomable. He'd spent so much time drowning in denial, pushing down his feelings. 

Dib reached over and took Zim's hand in his own, lacing their fingers in the way they fit perfectly.  

And he decided he didn’t want to waste another moment... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on. You guys didn’t really think I was gonna kill Zim did you?


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…here it is. The last chapter of Part One. 
> 
> I’m gonna just take a moment to thank every single one of you. Everyone who read, commented, left kudos, drew fanart (because, honestly, that is a thing I thought would NEVER happen), pimped my story to others. I actually almost didn’t post this story, but with the announcement of the T.V. movie, I decided on a whim to do so, thinking I was mostly just posting it for myself. 
> 
> The response has been overwhelming. I have NEVER had a story get the kind of feed back this one has. I have never had a story seem to kick so many people right in the feels. And I have found myself crying actually tears of joy on numerous occasions simply because of you lovely people. I, of course, hoped, maybe a few people would like this story, but to have so many wonderful comments, to have so many people genuinely enjoy this story, to the point of wanting others to read and enjoy it...it means the absolute world to me.
> 
> Anyway, I’m rambling and getting emotional. We still got two parts in this series left, so it’s not really the end, but I just really felt the need to say thank you. Thank you all so very much.

Dib, Zim, Tenn and Skoodge all found their way to the front of the facility, weaving around the huge crowd running around. A large amount of Irken guards had been captured and were being lead off somewhere in chains. They all glared lethally at Dib’s Irken companions, shouting nasty things in their native tongue. 

“Ugh. It’s disgusting how blind they are,” spat Tenn. 

“It’s not really their fault that they can’t defy what their PAK tells them,” Skoodge replied calmly. 

“Yes it is,” Tenn said stubbornly. 

“How did you two end up here, anyway?” Zim asked, extremely curious. 

Tenn smiled. “Well, as you know, I was captured on Meekrob,” she explained bitterly. “Because Red and Purple are such idiots that they can’t even adhere to a pact correctly. I tried escaping many times. It was the first time I realized something was…different about me. A proper Irken soldier would simply use their BRB upon capture. But…I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted to live.” She then smiled slightly and nodded at Skoodge. “This one happened to be stupid enough to rescue me.” 

Skoodge shrugged. “Well, after you get thrown out an airlock for literally doing your job what else can you do but go save your captured comrade?” 

“An airlock?!” Dib asked, horrified. 

“Oh, yeah,” said Skoodge. “Apparently the Tallests didn’t like that I was the first to conquer my planet. When I arrived, I heard some people talking about Tenn’s capture. I couldn’t believe no one was doing anything about it. I had intended to ask those jerks permission to go after Tenn, but, then woosh! I was in space.” He shrugged. “I managed to survive by some cosmic miracle. Got myself a ship and went straight to Meekrob.” 

“Wasn’t too long after that that Lard Nar found us,” added Tenn. “At first we were sure he was gonna kill us, but he said having Irkens on their side would be beneficial.” 

Dib smiled and nudged Zim gently. “It’s certainly helped Team Nebula,” he said affectionately. Zim nudged him back, his face turning almost magenta from his blush. 

“Which reminds me,” Skoodge asked slyly. “You were probably one of the most loyal ones, how the heck did you end up here with Team Nebula?” 

Zim caught Dib’s gaze, the two of them sharing a loving smile. Zim resisted the urge to stand on his toes and claim the human’s mouth. It wouldn’t be very appropriate to start making out in front of his old friends. 

“There you are!” called someone from the crowd. They all looked up to see Dek approaching. He was grinning proudly, particularly at Dib and Zim. He addressed Tenn and Skoodge. “Thanks again for taking care of my rookies.” 

Tenn smirked. “I blame you for trusting this one with anything,” she said, pointing at Zim. 

“Hey! It was _my_ SIR unit that broke that Brain!” protested Zim. 

Gir, who had been humming happily on Zim’s shoulder, suddenly squealed, “I made it esplode!” 

“I think _we_ did that, Gir,” Dib pointed out with a chuckle. 

Gir leapt from Zim’s shoulder to Dib’s head. “I’mma eat your brains!” he shrieked, chewing on Dib’s hair. 

Dek just shook his head. He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but Midge came barreling through, hugging both Dib and Zim in a nearly suffocating hold.  

“Ugh! You two are going to give me a heart attack!” she complained, pulling out her Medi-scanner from her belt and waving over the two of them. 

“I don’t understand why that would be an issue,” Zim said with a shrug. “You have two other hearts.” 

Midge rolled her eyes. “I prefer to have all three of them in working order, thank you!” 

“You were worried for nothing, Midge-shrimp,” Zim told her dismissively. “Zim is the best at everything he does.” Dib frowned a bit, poking Zim’s shoulder. “Oh, and the Dib did alright, as well.” 

“You’re such a punk,” said Dib, poking Zim in his side. Zim gave a high pitched squawk that had everyone else snickering. He glared up at the human. 

“You will pay for that Earth-stink,” he promised, glaring. 

Dib just smirked in return. That heated glare sent fire through his veins. “Looking forward to it.” 

“Gag,” Tenn grumbled. 

Midge giggled, finishing up her scanning and replacing the device into her belt. Her expression became concerned at the singed and bloody hole in Zim’s uniform. The actual wound was fully healed. “Maybe I should get you to the infirmary,” she suggested. “Just to look you over.” 

Zim shook his head. “Zim is perfectly fine, Midge-weasel,” he reassured. “All that’s left is to heal the scar tissue.” 

“I’m still super jealous that you can do that,” Dib stated with a small frown. 

“Sucks to be you,” Zim teased. Dib flicked his cheek. “Gah! You fiend!” 

“Well, since the two of you aren’t too terribly injured,” said Dek, ending the banter, “you two can come file your first mission report.” 

Zim scowled. “I don’t want to!” 

“I don’t think Zim has ever written a mission report in his whole life,” mentioned Skoodge thoughtfully. 

This didn’t surprise Dib at all. He reached up and pulled Gir from his head and placed him on top of Zim’s shoulder. Zim frowned for a moment as the robot squealed and squirmed.  

“I’ll do it,” Dib said. “That way you can catch up with your friends.” 

Zim squinted an eye skeptically but said nothing. Gir wiggled and screamed loudly, “Masta’ where are my tacos?! TACOS!” 

“I could go for some tacos,” Skoodge suggested brightly. 

“Tch. You could go for anything,” joked Tenn. 

“Hey!” 

Dib laughed. He reach over squeezed Zim’s hand. “I’ll see you later.” 

Zim just nodded and watched his human go with Midge and Dek. He tore Gir off his shoulder, ceasing his shrill ranting. “Gir! We’re getting tacos! Now shut up!” 

“Hurray!” Gir shrieked with joy. 

 

000000000000000 

 

“As annoyed as I am that Zim isn’t here doing his job,” mentioned Dek as he, Dib and Midge filled out paper work, “There’s actually something Midge and I want to discuss with you.” 

Dib’s head snapped up. He found it interesting that they had all had a similar idea. He’d decided to file the mission report alone so he could talk to Midge and Dek. “What’s up?” he asked, figuring he’d let Dek go first. 

“Well, after consulting with Director Adalet and the Galactic Council,” Dek replied, grinning slightly, “we know that Team Nebula is going to have to expand significantly. And after your performance today, it’s obvious we’re going to need more hackers like you.” 

"And more Gir's," Midge said off-handedly. "But that's not related."

Dib’s eyes shifted between Dek and Midge. Midge wasn’t looking up much, just typing on her tablet. Her mouth was curved into a strange smile. “What are you suggesting?”  

Dek’s grin grew in size. “We want you to teach the Advance Computer Technology class at the Academy.” 

Dib’s eyes widened. “W-what?” he stammered. “But…what about Lieutenant Rinzo?” 

“His mother’s taken ill back on his home planet,” Dek answered. “He actually suggested you as his replacement. And I agree.” 

“But…I’m not much older than any of the students. Some of them are even older than me!” 

“So? Midge and I are older than you. As are all the other members of this crew.” Dek’s expression softened. “And you have more than earned our respect.” 

Midge looked up at that, wearing a matching smile. Dib had no idea what to say. Him? Teach and train future hackers for Team Nebula? For the Galactic Fleet? It was a big responsibility. “Can…can I think it over?” 

“Of course,” replied Dek with a nod. “There’s no need to rush.” 

Dib nodded in return, his brow furrowing. He needed to ask Midge and Dek about his own dilemma. They were the only ones he could ask. But he hesitated. What if they tried to lecture him or talk him out of it? 

“Dib?” Midge said softly, her tone worried. “You okay? You look like you’ve got a headache.” 

“Hmm? Oh, no, it’s…it’s not that.” Dib took a deep breath. He wanted to do this. He was tired of being scared of what might happen. Zim deserved better than that. “I, uh, I wanted to ask you two something.” 

Midge and Dek looked at each other before turning back to the human. “What is it?” asked Midge. 

Dib shifted in his seat, trying to find his words. “I…How does one find an Orok?” 

There was a thick silence that followed Dib’s words. Dek’s emerald eyes were impossibly wide, and Midge looked like she’d forgotten how to breathe. Dib felt his face flush. He suddenly wanted to hide under the table. 

Then, Midge squealed loudly, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh!” She reached over and began shaking Dek violently. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" 

"Would you calm down, woman!" Dek ordered, though he was smiling slightly. 

Dib blinked, watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and confusion. However, as Midge finally adhered to Dek's demand to calm down, Dib asked, "So...where did you get her Orok?" 

Dek turned back to Dib. "It was my mother's," he explained. "My father made it.” 

Dib rose a brow. "Made it?" 

"Back before the Brains, Irkens would make Oroks from their weapons," explained Midge. She lifted up the one around her neck. "This one was made from an old gun of Invader Zon's. Obviously, there was some customization involved with the coloring." 

"The center glass sphere," added Dek, indicating this part on the triangular charm, "used to be the one carrying my father's blood. Now it carries mine." 

Midge smiled softly, looking down at her Orok. "That way, everyone knows I'm taken." She looked up at Dek, and they shared a look that took Dib aback. There was so much love and pure devotion in there eyes as they looked at each other. He couldn't help but smile a little bit. 

Then Midge cleared her throat and turned away, seeming to remember that Dib was there. "Of course, they would have to scan the Orok to know precisely who I'm bonded to. Any Medi-scanner could identify it. But most of the time, if someone's wearing an Orok, other's know not to mess with them." 

Dib gave an understanding nod. "So...I need an old weapon and some of my blood, then?" 

Dek looked at him seriously. "Dib...are you sure about this? Once you do this there will be no going back." 

Dib did his best not to scowl. He understood Dek's concern, but he didn't like his motives being questioned. "I'm just...tired of running away from something that I should be holding onto with both hands." His brow furrowed at his own words. "Does...that make sense?" 

Midge smiled sweetly. "It makes perfect sense, Dib." She jumped from her seat. "Well, I'm done with my report. Wanna get started on this Orok thing when you're done?" 

"You're gonna help me?" Dib asked. 

"Duh!" Midge replied. "What are besties for?" She reached over and poked Dek's face. "Boss-Man's gonna be busy making arrangements to move you guys into our apartment complex." 

Dek pushed Midge's hand away. "You don't even know if Zim will accept." 

Dib's heart jolted at Dek's words. What if, for one reason or another, Zim said no? 

"He won't refuse," Midge said confidently as if she had read Dib's mind. "I know he won't. Now," she grinned. "You got a weapon we can use?" 

Dib thought about it for a moment. He remember when he first came onto this ship, how he'd put his old laser gun into the bottom drawer of his dresser in his and Zim's room. It was made of both Earth and Irken technology. It seemed very appropriate. "You guys don't go around clearing out drawers, do you?" He asked, just in case. 

"No," Dek replied curiously. "Why?" 

Dib beamed, very glad to hear that. "I think I might have something, then." 

"Good," Midge said excitedly, walking around and grabbing Dib by the wrist. "Let's get started!" 

Dib made to protest, but when Dek didn't yell at them to stay he let it go. He gave Midge no resistance, a wry smile slipping across his face. It was so strange. This girl had literally dropped into his life with the goal of recruiting him, under the guise of becoming his friend, and yet she had become his friend anyway. Probably his best friend. And here she was, helping him make some crazy bonding charm to give to someone who he once called his sworn enemy. It was funny, how Midge, someone he'd barely known at the time, had seen things he couldn't. That he refused to. 

Midge looked up at him and raised a brow. "What?" 

Dib shrugged. "Just...thanks." _For everything._  

Midge smiled sincerely and continued tugging Dib down the hall. "Don't get mushy on me, Membrane. We got work to do." 

 

000000000000000 

 

Team Nebula stayed on Vort for a few days, helping the Resisty completely secure the planet. Zim spent a lot of his time in one of the labs in the facility. Some of the workers got annoyed with his presence and constant questions, but he didn't care. It had been so long since he'd been on Vort, and so many things had changed (in his opinion for the worse). However, now that the Resisty and Team Nebula were here, things could be set to rights. 

Also, the equipment the labs had was astonishing. Vortian technology came the closest in advancement to Irken, and there were so many things that he hadn't seen the last time he was here. It wasn't really his fault that he wanted to tinker with all the new toys and materials. If anything, the scientist should have appreciated his input more. He was a genius, after all. 

"Zim!" Dib's voice called from across the lab. Zim looked up to see the human waving him over. Zim frowned. Dib had been working on something since they deactivate the Sub-Brain, and he refused to tell Zim anything. It didn't help that the two of them shared a room but Zim was seeing very little of him. It irritated the Irken to no end. 

"What is it, Dib-smell?" Zim asked, walking over to Dib. 

Dib rubbed the back of his neck. He looked very nervous. Zim narrowed his eyes in suspicion. What was going on with this fidgety creature? 

"Could you just...come with me? Please?" Dib requested. 

Zim frowned and considered demanding that Dib tell him what was going on right now. Instead he folded his arms and acquiesced to Dib's request. "This better be good," he grumbled. 

Dib just smiled, leading them all the way to the _Nazo_ , where they had been staying. The rest of the crew was off the ship doing various things, including Gir. It was night, and all three of Vort's moons could be seen hovering in the sky, each a different size and color, surrounded by the expanse of numerous stars. 

They made their way to the other side of the ship, isolating themselves from anyone outside the facility. Zim looked up at Dib, finding the dirt-child still stupidly fidgety. "What is wrong with you?" He asked. 

"Nothing," answered Dib a little too quickly. Zim noticed him dig around in his pocket for a moment before looking directly at Zim. 

Then Dib smiled. That shy, crooked smile that Zim hated so much. It made him melt from the inside out. Made him want nothing more than to pull Dib toward him and kiss him fiercely. Maybe more. With that smile, Dib could make Zim do anything. It was beyond horrible. 

"I, uh, I have a present for you," Dib stammered, struggling to hold onto his conviction. No backing down. No going back. 

Zim tilted his head. He was still suspicious of Dib's behavior, but he could never turn down gifts. "Is that so?" 

Dib nodded, stepping forward. "Close your eyes." 

Zim frowned. "Why?" 

"Just...please?" Dib implored. 

Zim set his jaw, reluctant to give in to such a silly request. But, he did want to know what this gift was. So he complied, letting his eyes fall shut, but keeping his antennae at attention. 

"No peeking, alright," Dib teased, pulling the item from his pocket and standing behind Zim. 

"Tch, I will do whatever I want," Zim replied. He froze when he felt something fall over his head, slipping past his antennae. Zim's face scrunched in confusion. He heard a tiny jiggle of metal on metal, before the item was lowered all the way. A cool chain pressed against the back of Zim's neck. He felt his insides squirmed. "Dib-," his voice was barely a whisper. 

"Open your eyes," Dib told him, voice soft, heart pounding. 

 Zim's insides warmed up and squirmed at the sound. He really detested sometimes how this human could make him feel so...squishy. 

Zim opened his eyes, but he had already had an idea of what the item was. Tentatively, he took the triangular charm in his hand. His squeedlyspooch felt like it stopped dead for a second. The charm was purple and magenta, his favorite colors, and a glass sphere with dark, crimson blood laid in the center. 

Zim swallowed, turning slowly to look up at Dib. "So...this is what you've been working on?"  

Dib did his best not to tremble. But it was hard. Zim didn't look excited like he had expected. In fact, his face looked rather blank. "Y-yeah," he replied unsteadily. "You...you have to make Oroks. There's...no other way to get one." He shuffled his feet, trying to figure out what to say. Anything to get that weird look off of Zim's face. 

Then, to Dib's great chagrin, Zim began to laugh. He felt his face flush with embarrassment. Great, he'd just basically told Zim he wanted to be with him forever and the stupid Irken was laughing at him. "What's so funny?" He asked bitterly. 

Zim looked up at the human, recognizing the less than happy tone. Zim simply rolled his eyes. Dib was so easily agitated. Without saying a word he opened up his PAK, a small, velvet bag popping out. He gave Dib a small grin and tossed the bag to him. Dib caught it easily, but continued to look angry and confused. 

"What's this?" Dib asked, almost scoffing. 

"Why don't you open it and find out, Earth-smell," replied Zim. He continued to fiddle with the Orok around his neck. 

Dib frowned, but eventually complied. He pulled the string on the bag and opened it up, raising a brow at the first glance at the item within. Upon pulling it out, he felt all his anger and embarrassment dissipate, his eyes widening and a goofy smile stretching across his face. 

On a long silver chain was a triangular charm similar to one Zim now wore, only instead of purple and magenta it was dark blue and copper. The bright pink liquid that sat in the sphere almost clashed with the other two colors, but Dib couldn't bring himself to care. He couldn't help but laugh. 

"We're so stupid," he blurted breathlessly. They hadn't been together that long, and here they were giving each other bonding charms. They were absolutely insane. 

"Nonsense!" Zim scoffed, walking forward and taking the blue Orok from Dib's hand. Dib grinned stupidly as the Irken reached up to slide the chain over his head. "You're stupid! I am a genius!" 

Dib rolled his eyes as a thought struck him. “Aren’t Tallers supposed to give these to Smallers?” he asked curiously. Everything he had learned about Irken courtship and mating all seemed to say that. 

Zim frowned. “ _Traditionally_ , yes,” he replied. “But since I’m Irken and you’re not I am the superior one.” 

Dib rose a brow. “Yet you’re still wearing an Orok.” 

“For no other reason but because I want to!” 

Dib did he best not to laugh, but Zim could tell and continued to look irritated. Dib simply reached over and pulled the Irken closer, mesmerized by how the glittering lights of the moons and stars casted Zim in an ethereal light. His ruby eyes glowed brightly, the irritation in them dissolving as they met Dib's golden ones. 

Then Zim reached up and cupped Dib's face in his hands, his eyes smoldering and his expression serious. "I hope you realize that there is absolutely no escaping me, now, Dib," he nearly whispered. 

Dib just grinned, raising one of his hands to Zim's cheek, the other settling on his hip as he held him close. "Funny. I was just thinking the same thing about you, Space Boy," he murmured. His hand trailed down Zim's neck and chest, settling on top of Zim's Orok. He added in Irken, “ _I want you forever.”_  

Something flashed in Zim's eyes, and Dib began to hear a familiar sound. An almost purr that came from deep inside Zim's chest. The sound of a tiger ready to pounce. " _And you are forever mine_ _,_ " Zim growled before smashing his lips against Dib's. 

Dib swallowed a chuckle. The usual response was “ _I am forever yours,”_ but leave it to Zim to put his own possessive twist on it. He let his mind go blank as he kissed the Irken back fiercely, their tongues battling and teeth biting. A muffled mewl escaped Zim's throat as Dib thoughtlessly pushed him backwards, pinning him to the outside of the _Nazo_ _._ The Irken writhed beneath him, clinging to his clothes, as if desperately trying to pull him closer.  

"Dib," Zim said breathlessly as the human's mouth trailed down his jaw and neck, feeling his warm hands find their way beneath his clothes. Zim's body felt hot, and he could already feel his member pushing out of its sheath. "Dib," he repeated a little more insistently. 

"Hmm?" Dib finally acknowledged, looking back at Zim's face. The Irken was flushed fuscia and panting, his ruby eyes darkened to deep scarlet. He was so beautiful. 

"I want all of you, Dib," Zim whispered heatedly, never once breaking eye contact with the human as his claws threaded into his hair. There was a reason Zim hadn't tinted the human's goggles: so nothing got in the way of those beautiful golden eyes. Zim watched those eyes darkened to almost copper as he leaned closer, his lips brushing against Dib's as he spoke. "Give me all of you." 

Dib felt burning desire rush through him at those words, traveling straight to his groin. If a statement could sound like an demand and a plea at the same time, Zim had mastered it. He didn’t need to ask to know what Zim was wanting. And Dib was more than happy to oblige. 

They shared another frantic kiss, their hands grabbing and groping madly, wanting nothing more than to be closer. Dib pulled away with a gasp, feeling Zim's teasing fingers along the waistband of his pants. "We," Dib struggled to say, trying to gain some semblance of control over the situation. "We should..." He trailed off, his thoughts muddled. To Dib's relief Zim nodded in understanding before snatching the humans wrist and leading them inside the _Nazo_ at a quick pace. 

As soon as the two of them entered their bedroom, Zim shut the door and shoved Dib backward onto one of the beds. He had no time to regain his bearings before Zim pounced, his mouth attacking his once more as the Irken straddled him. Zim rolled his hips, their clothed erections grinding against each other. Dib groaned, thrusting upward to meet Zim’s movements. His hands trailed to the hem of Zim's shirt, and he pulled it off easily, along with Zim's gloves, tossing them to the side. Dib's hands touched all over the newly exposed skin. He would never get over how soft and smooth it was. How sensitive it was to even the most gentle touches. 

Zim responded just as eagerly, almost tearing Dib's shirt from his body. He made a mental note to thank Dek and Midge for training them so rigorously, once again finding himself admiring the human’s defined abs and strong, fit arms. He wanted to sink his teeth and his claws into every inch. He wanted mark Dib even more than he already had. Oh, _Irk_ , he wanted their pants _off_ already. 

As Zim moved his hands down to the zipper of Dib's pants, the human pulled away slightly. "Hold – hold on," he mumbled. At first, Zim was upset, thinking the human was backing out. But then he nervously went to remove his goggles and boots. Zim pouted, but took the opportunity to remove his own boots. When Dib returned, Zim went back to work, sliding the zipper down in an almost teasing manner.  

The look in Zim’s ruby eyes was, all at once, overwhelming and thrilling. He wasn't the least bit unsure, his expression filled with adoration, possessiveness and lust. No one had ever looked at Dib like that. Like if they didn’t have him now they were going to explode. Or kill him. It could have gone either way with Zim. Dib swallowed thickly, using his shaky hands to get Zim's pants off. 

Their gazes remained locked, even as they removed the last bits of fabric between them. They had seen each other naked before, but this felt a thousand times more intimate. Zim's hands trailed along Dib's torso and shoulders, wanting to touch every inch of his human's pale skin.  

Dib slowly caressed along Zim's thighs and hips, feeling a mixture of anxiety and desire. He had never done this before. He didn't want to screw this up. He met those heated ruby eyes once more, overwhelmed by the intense emotions he saw in them. It shot a jolt of excitement through him, and he leaned forward to reconnected their mouths. 

They kissed for a while, rough and passionate. Their hands wandered all over, exploring like there was some vital secret on the others skin. Dib groaned as Zim began rolling his hips again, their bare bodies rubbing against each other deliciously. 

"Zim," Dib pleaded as the Irken's mouth trailed along his neck and shoulder. His body felt like it was burning, like at any second he was going to spontaneously combust. And he was already _so hard._  

Zim took one of Dib's hands and led it between his legs, bypassing his stiff member. Dib inhaled sharply when he felt what Zim had brought him to. An opening that was already wet and wanting. 

"You, uh, you self lubricate?" Dib asked, unable to help his curiosity. He traced the entrance with his finger, feeling himself grow harder in anticipation. It was so slick and a beckoning warmth emanated from it. 

Zim raised his head and threw him a violent glare. "If you start asking questions I _swear_ I’ll _kill_ you,” he growled. 

“Heh. Fair enough,” breathed Dib. Carefully he pushed his index finger inside Zim, shuddering from the heat he felt. He began to gently move his finger in and out, watching as Zim gasped and moaned.  

Not to  be outdone, Zim reached down and lightly began stroking Dib's erection. The human nearly choked on his own breath, but he managed not to falter in his task. He continued slowly thrusting his finger in and out of Zim, his gaze locked on the other's flushed face. Beautiful sounds came from the Irken's mouth, quiet whines and whimpers. The hand on Dib's cock faltered, which he was slightly glad for. He wouldn't last long if Zim kept that up. 

After a while, Dib gently eased a second finger into Zim's entrance. A loud cry escaped the Irken, both of his hands coming up to brace Dib's shoulders. Dib's brow furrowed in concern. "Did...did I hurt you?" He asked breathlessly. 

Zim shook his head, annoyed that those wonderful fingers inside him had stopped moving. "Don't stop," he told the human. It had been meant to sound threatening, but came out far too needy. 

Dib obeyed, thankful that they wouldn't be ceasing their activities any time soon. He was willing to stop if Zim really wanted to, but he would be lying if he said he wouldn't be disappointed. He continued thrusting his fingers in and out of Zim's tight, wet entrance, feeling the Irken's claws dig into his shoulders slightly.  

Zim moaned at the feeling of those digits moving in and out, rubbing against his inner walls. He couldn't remember ever feeling anything this good in his whole life, like he was burning from the inside out in the best possible way. But he wanted more, and he made it apparent as he began moving his hips to meet Dib's fingers. 

"D-Dib,” Zim whispered, his gaze demanding. Immediately Dib understood. He removed his fingers from Zim's entrance and took hold of the Irken's hips. Zim wrapped his arms around Dib’s neck, letting himself be positioned over the human’s hard cock. Their foreheads touched, holding each other’s fiery gazes, as Zim began to carefully lower himself down. 

The initial feeling of penetration made Zim’s breathing hitch, and his grip on Dib tightened. Dib moaned loudly, exercising every bit of his self-control as a slick, tight warmth began to surround him. He grasped Zim’s hips firmly, trying to keep himself grounded. He didn’t want to hurt the Irken, after all. 

Very slowly Zim lowered himself the rest of the way, taking in Dib’s entire length. He couldn’t help but dig his claws into the human’s shoulders. Dib filled him in an almost painful way, making him grit his teeth at the sensation. However, he would not stop this, not when he finally had what he’d wanted for so long. 

Taking a deep breath, Zim shifted his hips experimentally, gasping as discomfort gave way to the tiniest hint of pleasure. He heard Dib groan wantonly, felt the grip on his hips tighten. He kept eye contact with his human as he lifted himself up slightly, before lowering himself back down. Both of them gasped at the feeling, gripping onto one another like their lives depended on it. Zim repeated the action just as slowly, this time feeling Dib thrust upwards to meet him. A high pitched moan escaped the Irken’s lips, his eyes unintentionally squeezing shut. 

“ _Zim_ ,” Dib nearly whimpered as their bodies continued to move against each other. They kept their slow pace, molten gold locked with blazing ruby, expressing every intense emotion they were feeling. For a miniscule moment, this wasn’t about their physical desires. It was about finally feeling connected to another being, emotionally and physically. About finally finding – finally obtaining – what they had been searching for all along. About how their bodies instinctively found a perfect rhythm, moving as one. 

However, it wasn’t long before Zim’s movements quickened. The slow friction had given him just a taste of the pleasure he sought. Dib responded  in kind, using his hands on Zim’s hips to help him move faster. 

“Ah-ahn!” Zim cried out. Dib hissed as he felt the Irken’s claws dig deeper into his skin, drawing blood. It sent a sharp thrill through his body and made him thrust into Zim harder. “Dib!” 

Dib lost it then, fueled by the sounds Zim was making and his aching need for release. He pulled Zim close to his body and rolled them over so that he was on top. Zim’s  legs wrapped around the human’s waist as Dib thrust himself deep into Zim, harder and faster. Zim threw his head back and cried out the human’s name once more, clinging to him like he might disappear at any moment. Dib felt a tightening in his lower abdomen, but desperately tried to hold on for just a little longer.

As Zim moved his hips to meet Dib’s powerful movements, the Irken felt a heat stirring in his belly. His breathing quickened as the feeling rose, towering and burning through his entire being. His moans grew louder as their movements became frantic, Dib ramming into him over and over again, sending the feeling higher and higher. “ _Dib_ _!”_ Zim nearly begged. He could feel his body tensing before, all at once, the feeling exploded in tumultuous waves of pleasure. “D-Dib! Oh, Irk, Dib, _yes_!” Zim’s back arched off the bed, and he let out a loud, on-going keen as he came. 

“Oh, fuck, _Zim_ _!”_ Dib cried out as he felt the Irken spasm around him, his own release crashing over him violently. 

The two of them rode out their orgasms for what seemed forever, Dib continuing to grind against the Irken as he filled him with his hot cum. Zim gave a whimpering moan at the feeling.  They remained clinging to each other as the high dissipated, trying the catch their breaths.  

Finally, Dib pulled out of Zim, falling to lay his head on the Irken’s sweaty chest, not caring about how Zim’s ejaculate was splattered over both of them. He assumed for now Zim wasn’t worried about it either since he didn't complain, his claws coming up to play with the human's hair. 

“Oh my _God_ , I _love_ you,” Dib declared, once he found the ability to speak again. 

Zim chuckled, unable to help feeling smug. "You're welcome."

Dib raised his head up to give Zim a pointed look, but instead he smirked as he leaned forward kiss the Irken's jaw. "You're acting pretty arrogant for someone who was just moaning so desperately a minute ago."

Zim felt his face flare as he shoved Dib's face away half-heartedly. "Shut up."

Dib just gave a breathy laugh, catching Zim's hand so he couldn't be pushed away again. He leaned in once more and kissed him softly. Zim returned the kiss, his claws still threaded in Dib's hair. When Dib pulled away he pressed their foreheads together and whispered, "You're all mine, Space Boy.” 

Zim’s squeedlyspooch felt like it was going to ignite inside him at those words. A small smile spread across his face. “And you are mine until the universe implodes on itself.” 

Dib decided it best not to argue, not wanting to ruin the moment with talks of mortality. They laid there for a little while longer before Zim demanded they clean up before going to bed. Dib just obeyed, way too happy with the situation to care about anything else. Once they returned to bed, they curled up against each other, holding each other close. They made light conversation until Dib drifted off, sleeping soundly with his arm wrapped around Zim’s waist. 

Zim fiddled with the Orok at his chest, and studied the gleaming blue one that Dib wore. He smiled in an almost giddy manner. He looked back at Dib, watching the human’s eyelashes flutter, listening to his soft breathing. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch. He didn’t want to disturb the human’s rest. 

For years they had both been so alone, so blinded by duty and the need for recognition. Not for the first time, Zim found himself shoving the thoughts of what if down. They didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the two of them. Together they were unstoppable, unshakable, and nothing would come between, not even death. Zim nuzzled into Dib’s chest, figuring he might as well go into a rest mode himself, not wanting to leave the human’s warm embrace (ever). He closed his eyes, feeling a new and wonderful sense of contentment. 

And for the first time in his life, Zim felt like he understood what it meant to be home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That came out cheesier than expected. I'm sorry if you're lactose intolerant or vegan.
> 
> *watches all the readers leave*
> 
> Anyway, that’s Part One, folks. Part Two is currently in the works. I can't give an accurate time frame for when it will be ready, but I'll try to give updates via my Tumblr.
> 
> Just as a warning though, my plans for part two are starting to get Game of Thrones-ish. Game of Drones? No? Okay you don't have to deal with me anymore.
> 
> Once again thank you for all the support. :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Homage to Interstellar - Dibble's Monologue.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12028263) by [BabyWithWings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyWithWings/pseuds/BabyWithWings)




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